Kings Tale
by TotalNobody123
Summary: Rated T, as this story can get somewhat bleak. A lot of ideas and concepts I wanted to use have already been taken. On the Surface, something has gone horribly wrong- being a colorless landscape instead of what it's suppose to be. I have made Non-canon characters for the sake of the story. UnderTale and all respective characters and properties belong to Toby Fox.
1. PROLOGUE - Part one

PROLOGUE – PART ONE

Long ago, two sentient races ruled the earth - Humans and Monsters... But you already knew that.

You already know the war that lasted as one battle, and that the "monsters" were sealed underground... The Story of the first and last fallen child... Do you not know these?

These Stories, you already know. Don't you? But what of the surface after the war?

What happened to humanity and it's magic after they sealed the sentient beasts under the earth? What transpired before the first fallen child, and what is to come of the Last Human's companions now that the underground is to go empty?

Well... That tale I shall share now.

When mankind banished their former partners under the earth, the monsters with them took certain "good elements" that man cannot produce on it's own. The land man inherited lacked these elements, these simple almost unremarkable things that had been banished underground. The world above became unbalanced. The darkness of humanity spiraled out of control – stripping the once beautiful surface and the SOULS of man of their color…

Love… Hope… Compassion… Virtue… These simple things, humanity sealed away – for it's true that the Monsters underground couldn't live without such… Yet Human souls can, and they have. They have for two thousand years… Yet, one thing Humanity has been responsible for the creation of in their former companions' absence – a type of SOUL. An infectious thing, a poisonous and venomous soul that has truly robbed Mankind of it's humanity more than they have of themselves, and opened the eyes of the few with any remaining…

What is it? How any soul could embody such a vile, miserable, malevolent thing? I shall tell you;

Long ago, two sentient races were created to rule the earth - The Humans and the Monsters.

Mankind's war on those they were meant to rule side-by-side with was a brutal and merciless battle as you know.

As the world above became unbalanced, so did her creators - The Gods. Corrupted by Humanity's Fear, and enraged at the betrayal of their fellow creation, the Gods created the perfect punishment for their traitorous creatures – disguised as a gift to the Souls of Justice. A soul that would ensure Humanity would never again see peace as they did when sharing the world with monsters – A soul that could sustain itself from fear, pain, suffering - all while dishing it out sevenfold. A soul that would embrace Humanity like a parasite and be embraced by humanity in return. A SOUL as black as the void that created it;

The Soul of Hate.

The darkness of humanity's hate spiraled out of control like a Pandora's Box – stripping the once beautiful surface and the SOULS of man of their color – corrupting it beyond recognition…

The gods – corrupted by Humanity's fear laughed at this "perverted justice", then left to where no prayer can be heard by them ever again – leaving us humans to what can be argued as "karmic fate".

In place of Brave Heroes came sniveling cowards – weasels in servitude to Fear.

Those that could Persevere through the worst Hells fell into the Dungeon of Despair.

SOULs passionate about Justice became infected with blind vengeance.

Patience was reduced to a tool for petty passions of perfectionists, or worse.

Integrity has fallen to the Arachnids of Deceit and holds many prisoners within its' lies.

Kindness became a rarity – the last of it's kind fallen into the Underground – used in purpose to fulfill the monster's prophecy. Souls of Selfish purpose, sadism arose in their place, and bitterness dominated as the easiest to create.

Determination… Oh, how far your apple has fallen from the tree of Hope, and into the toolshed of Hate. Determination has made this possible, but can it also be it's undoing?

Can the kindness of this determined Soul – no, the same **LOVE** of the soul that freed the monsters undo the world of suffering humanity has wrought upon itself, or is the surface doomed to forever be a place of "kill, or be killed"?


	2. Prologue - Part two

PROLOGUE – PART TWO

The Kingdom of Green Gold. It began as a province of the Greater Empire before the days of Yore. It was far to the south-east containing Steppes of lush green hills, forests of life and resource. Before the dark times, Green Gold was lush with exports of exotic teas, herbal plants with multiple uses. The famous * **GOLDEN FLOWER TEA** before it was reduced to a lost art. It was indeed an agricultural land before the age of *HATE…

However, the true beauty of Green Gold was the position of its mountain range (aside from its luxurious defensive advantages that will remain appealing for eternity to come). One of these mountains long ago used to be considered sacred. Thanks to time, the curse of the *HATE soul, and Humanity's two thousand-year war upon itself denied mankind the grim memory.

The memories of Mount Ebbot, the memories that explain why the lands have become devoid of color and meaning, the memories of the SINS that spawned the soul of *HATE, that would wisp humanity away from prosperity – draining the color of the SOULs within the lands, left with nothing but a husk of one's self.

When one's SOUL is to drain completely, the human SOUL will become "hollow";

To be hollow is to be a walking corpse by any other name. You walk wishing you were dead…

 ***But death does not come for you…**

 ***Nobody comes to hear your cry…**

 ***Nobody CAN come to your cry….**

 ***Because almost everyone feels exactly the same…**


	3. Chapter 1 - First Meeting

CH1 – First Meeting

A dusk, dimly lit rectangular throne room of dark, cold stone imposes itself on those wishing to have an audience with the king. Six flawless grey pillars stand at attention between the throne room's entryway side-by-side, as for the throne itself – the throne of Green Gold's Lord. Deceivingly humble in appearance, as it was not much than preserved wood and minor woodcarving as decoration. On the throne sat a human figure concealed with a cloak as green as the ancient grass of yore with thin trims of Golden silk, shoulders covered by pauldrons of golden steel attached to the concealed hauberk under his Green and Golden cloak. His expression concealed by his cloak's overbearing hood.

Adrian, the King of Green Gold sat upon his throne in his dimly lit, colorless throne room alone… A guardsman's footsteps arouse Adrian's attention as the guardsman took a bow halfway through the room after passing the second pair of pillars;

"My King, we have… Unusual news".

"Speak"

Adrian commanded with a soft, yet cold reply.

"From the Mountain known as MT. Ebbot sir, the uh…"

Neither could see the others' face, but Adrian could tell the guard had little idea how he was going to put his message to words.

"Apparently there were sentient beings sealed under the mountain, but the seal that was keeping them inside – this… Barrier? It gave way, my King."

Adrian left a concealed chuckle from the shadow of his hood.

"And why does this concern us, Guard? Why does this concern me?"

"Their diplomat - their Ambassador wishes to speak with you… They're sort of on our doorstep, my Ki-".

"PFFFFFFT!"

Adrian blurted with a hint of… Authentic humor.

"I'll entertain… Whoever this is. In the meantime, resume your duties Guardsman."

"Yes, my King!" The guardsman replied as he made his way back to the dark entry doors. "You can come in now kid" Adrian overheard past the throne room's entry… Adrian continued listening from his throne – closing his shadowed eyes…

 _Footsteps… Soft, but decently paced… A child… No cloak but does have a Gardening knife rattling within a pocket, yet the footsteps didn't sound like those of a killer. Could be for self-defense… Around her neck - an almost silent rattle of a locket necklace… After the sixth and final pillar, the footsteps ceased… The individual would have to be less than ten feet in front of Adrian's seat…_

King Adrian opened his eyes to see the 'diplomat' before him, this 'Ambassador'… A Small child wearing a blue shirt with purple stripes, plain trousers… At first, Adrian forced himself to hold back from a disrespectful scoff.

 _The locket…_

Adrian immediately shut his eyes upon gazing the locket – it's make, and model were common, if you were a **_royal family member…_**

"King Adrian… Right?" The child's voice reverbed off the walls of stone.

 _This soft voice… This tone… No… It's not…_

Adrian's mind trailed – remembering what he wanted to seal away. 

"My name is- " 

**"Leave me"**. Adrian blurted. 

"I'm sorry?" 

"I am not to negotiate any terms with some exalted child. Send me your leader". 

"…" The child remained silent. Adrian rose his head to meet the child's gaze. 

_The face the child bore was one that was expressionless, as if concealing a tell…_ -_- 

"I am King Adrian of Green Gold. I am NOT some pare-" Adrian caught himself mid-sentence, then resumed. 

"Go back to your people, Child… And bring your leader to me for whatever it is you wished to discuss. Until then, I refuse to talk." 

The child gave a respectful bow and returned towards the door. She paused at the towering oak upon hinges, speaking with the same softness as before -

"My name is Frisk"

Adrian sulked his head again…

"…Frisk… Heh." Adrian emotionally recomposed himself to that presence he has not felt in a long time…

Adrian, King of Green Gold sat upon his throne, in his dimly lit colorless throne room… Alone…

 ** _… And nobody came…_**


	4. Chapter 2 - King Adrian

CH2 - King Adrian of Green Gold

 _"Dad, why can't you and Mom play ball with us?"_

 _"Well little Jamie, I and mom have a ton of work and responsibilities to see to."_

 _"Like what? Are you going to see that cool warrior guy again?"_

 _"Actually, Yes. How did you know?"_

 _"That's my best friend's dad! That 'Gael' person, right? He's cool!"_

 _"Want to know something cooler?"_

 _"What dad?"_

 _"Your friend's dad is going to be invited to see if he wants to be a Lord and help me with work."_

 _"Wait, so my friend can move in and live with us at the keep?"_

 _"If Gael wants to, then yes."_

 _"And that frees-up time, right? Does that mean you can spend more time with me?"_

 _"Are you kidding Jamie? Obviously Yes!"_

 _"That's awesome! Should I tell my friend this, or should I let his dad Gael tell him?"_

 _"Let Gael tell him son. Now, didn't you say something about a ball?"_

 ** _. . ._**

"My King, the Ambassador has returned with the monsters' leader" A familiar guard's voice broke Adrian from his trance.

"What are you waiting for? I'm not your nanny guardsman. Let them in!"

The doors groaned with enough noise, one could mistake them for being in pain as they opened for Adrian's audience as two figures entered the throne room and passed its pillars.

… Silence echoes throughout the room…

"Frisk… Are you sure this is a good idea?" Softly spoke an old Goat with a crown.

"I'm…"

 **"Don't"** Adrian interrupted, sealing his eyes shut to avoid seeing the child's locket once more while concealing his head beneath his hood.

 **"Address yourself, King of Monsters"** Adrian's voice was like cold wind against stone – straightforward, blunt, and to the point.

"I am Asgore Dreemur… I…" Asgore tried to recompose himself.

 **"You are KING Asgore Dreemur of the Monsters of Mount Ebott."** Adrian's voice reverberating as a skipping stone across water.

 **"I will address you as such. You are to address yourself as such. Get some self-respect _"_** Adrian wanted to tack-on to the sentence ' _you old goat'_ but restrained himself.

Adrian released the tension in his shoulders and throat, then continued.

"Monsters… Heh… That's… Seriously what you're calling yourselves…"

Adrian's voice softened, Asgore noticing something within Adrian's voice while exchanging glances with Frisk...

 _Why does… This feel… Familiar…_

Asgore's soul remembering an ache he was longing to move on from…

"Monsters as a word has taken quite the overhaul… Monsters are **Soulless** , without conscience… The monsters I know of would be **humans** that are without… Many things." Adrian closed his eyes – if only for a moment, then came back around.

"King Asgore Dreemur – King under the mountain, _Dreamer_ of Monster-kind… Tell me, why did you come here? What is your purpose here? Why did you come **to me**?"

… Silence…

Asgore took a moment…

"I wish for Monster-kind to live in peace with humans…"

 _Brief silence…_

"PFFFFFFT HA, AHA. ** _HAAA AHA *gasp*_** " Adrian blurted into the once- silent room, gasping occasionally for some air before releasing his lungs from an unexpected exercise.

Asgore payed attention to the laugh…

 _This isn't a laugh of mockery… This is… Authentic… As if someone told him a joke… Is this a joke to him? No… This… Authenticity… Why would he laugh about this...?_

Eventually, Adrian ceased his laughter and recomposed himself.

"Pardon me King Dreemurr, but I take it you are relatively… 'New' to the surface?"

"We got out just yesterday" Frisk interjected.

… Brief silence…

"Well… I have a question for both of you then."

Both Frisk and Asgore stood attentive to King Adrian's words in silence.

Adrian leaned forward from his throne.  
"How do you think you can live in harmony with humanity, when we can't even live peacefully among ourselves?"

Frisk continued her blank stare, Asgore gave a confused expression.

"… What do you mean?" Asgore replied. Adrian returned the reply.

"Have you ever heard of the phrase **kill or be killed** before?"

Frisk's heart felt as if was pierced like a dagger… Frisk tried to keep it from showing, but Adrian couldn't help but notice the child's clenched fists.

"Let's just say a lot of bad people have been hanging around my kingdom lately… They think we should let them trample all over us. We told them no, and now… Let's just say they don't like us very much. You could make the comparison to bullies from a school… Except without all the violence, destruction, and death…"

Asgore remained silent. Adrian's voice remained cold and distant, but wasn't harsh like it was when they first met...

"King Asgore" Adrian leaned back into his chair, the room still dark… Asgore's gaze set to return Adrian's in kind, despite not being able to make-out his face in the darkness of the room.

"King Asgore Dreemur. What is monster kind willing to give Green Gold in return for their safety within our nation, our borders, our castles, keeps, and cities from Green Gold's citizens?"

Frisk looked at Asgore concerningly.

 _Kill or be killed… That was what Asri- … Flowey… told me when we first met. This Adrian… Is he similar… Or… Worse..._

Asgore lowered his head. Frisk immediately recognized that look. He gave it every time they were at the barrier... When he kept destroying Frisk's *MERCY key. If monsters were to live here in peace…

 _This can't be the only way…_

"We have studies, weapons, and technology that are more than capable of suiting your needs…"

Adrian's smile was hidden, but neither Frisk or Asgore were blind to it.

 **"On one condition!"** Asgore tacked-on, raising a finger.

Adrian's hidden smile only grew ever bigger.

"Name it!"

"You will not use this technology against the monsters, nor allow anyone else to use what we give you against us."

"Technically that's two, BUT... I too have one condition"

Asgore and Frisk held their breath. Adrian stood-up from his throne – his height barely short of Asgore by perhaps a forehead and one half. Adrian's face still shrouded by his cloak's hood.

" **You protect your people. I protect my people.** My people don't hurt your people, and vice versa."  
Adrian reached out his hand in offer to the old goat with a crown.

"Do we have a deal?"

Asgore took the King in Green's hand and shook firmly – his face still lowered.

"Deal".

"Then welcome to Green Gold…" Adrian's voice shifted again once more – something seeming familiar to him, but Adrian couldn't place it…

"I've never met you before Asgore…" Adrian released his grip on Asgore's hand before continuing.

"But… I…" Adrian paused for a moment, his smile fading away.

 _It's as if you've been my friend my whole life… But I've never met you…_

 _How is this possible? What is this… Emotion?_

Asgore lifted his head a little, now Adrian was the one lowering his head.

"I've been somewhat harsh towards you two…"

Frisk was less than impressed. Asgore lifted his head a bit more.

"Ambassador… Frisk, was it?"

Frisk raised an eyebrow.

"I'm… Sorry… For… It's just that…" Adrian turned away from the two, his tone turning softer…

Gathering strength, Adrian turned and met the child's gaze… Frisk could finally see his eyes - a colorless grey with a hue barely recognizable as blue, with a messy golden blonde beard and a barely visible crown with a single sapphire ornament.

The expression on Adrian's face… Frisk knew the expression better than anyone.

It was Toriel's face when Frisk confronted her at the door to the ruins...

 _Pathetic, isn't it? I can't save the life of one child…_

It was the face of Asgore at the barrier after every fight…

 _But I believe your freedom… Is what my son… What Asriel would have wanted…_

" **You're hurting** " Frisk blurted.

Before Adrian could process what Frisk said, or Asgore could say otherwise, Frisk – as if on an impulse ran up to Adrian's side, and threw her arms around his waist.

 **"… What are you doing, kid?"** Adrian's voice was not cold, but the distance was returning. Asgore remained silent, the identity of Adrian's emotion starting to lose it's shroud.

" **Get off** " Adrian wasn't forcing Frisk away, but the coldness was returning to his voice…

 ***But you refused**

Asgore wished to remain silent, but something within him was urging him to pry.

"Forgive my dear Frisk, King Adrian… But…"

Adrian remained silent.

"Is she speaking the truth?"

"…"

Adrian could only stutter as he turned to Frisk – kneeling-down to return the embrace… Frisk now knew with certainty.

 _This was Toriel's hug at the door to the ruins… The embrace a parent gives **Their** child._

Asgore recognized it as well from a more… Ancient memory.

Frisk released Adrian from the emotional embrace, allowing Adrian to get up. Adrian remained silent…

Adrian slowly pulled-back his hood, no longer hiding under his cloak's shroud – showing Asgore and Frisk his face and expression in full.

Asgore took one gaze – followed by a feeling - as if his SOUL was being torn to shreds. A golden crown upon his head, messy golden-blonde hair, grey eyes – as if their color had been drained from them, but the expression – The expression upon Adrian's face pierced Asgore like an arrow…

 _It's as if I'm staring upon a reflection…_

Asgore was disheartened by the emotional pain just on Adrian's face alone… Then Asgore looked deeper and saw his SOUL…

It was almost a colorless grey, save a barely visible purple hue…

 _… Perseverance? No… A despairing SOUL – A *SOUL trapped in the clutches of despair – losing all sense of hope...  
_ _The same hopelessness I felt... When… I lost…_

 **"None of your business"** Adrian let slip from his lips – fighting a losing battle to hide his grief, the bags of restlessness made obvious around his eyes…

 **"My pain isn't yours Asgore. My burdens are not yours to bear. This is mine, mine alone. What I lost is what I lost, and they will not return."**

Asgore couldn't hold back his own tears as those words came from Adrian's lips. Asgore wanted to tell Adrian that he was wrong - that he knew Adrian's grief when Asriel perished in his own garden, Asgore wanted to embrace Adrian, to comfort him but nothing came forth.

 _The pain you feel, Adrian… It would be as if I lost Tori, Chara, and Asriel all at once... I know EXACLY what you're going through!  
_ _I don't know how long ago this was for you, b_ _ut you pushed-on anyway despite having no one to continue for.  
_ _  
You're afraid of being weak in front of a people that look-up to you, but you're not weak!  
_ _ _That pain I see on your face would've had me 'fallen down' seven-fold, yet here you stand…  
__ _  
You're strong! You're stronger than I could ever be! There is hope for you! You just need to stay…_

Adrian turned his back on Asgore and Frisk once more, his tears running amuck.

 **"…Leave me"**

Adrian heard footsteps behind him fade toward the entrance…

"Asgore. Frisk…" Adrian turned to face them once more. He saw the pair pause, but they didn't turn to face him.

 _Don't leave me! I'm sorry! Come back! I don't want to be alone! I don't want to face this alone…  
_ _I'm so alone **. I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE! DON'T LEAVE ME! I'M SORRY! STAY WITH ME!**_

… momentary silence…

 ** _WHY CAN'T I SAY ANYTHING?! WHY WON'T I TELL THEM I'M SORRY?! STAY WITH ME! DON'T LEAVE! I'M SORRY!  
_**

"King Asgore… Ambassador Frisk… Thank you for your time." Their pace towards the oaken doors resumed.

 _No… NO… **NO! SAY MORE THAN THAT! GO WITH THEM! DO SOMETHING YOU STUPID OLD FOOL! DON'T LET THEM JUST-**_

The doors closed behind Frisk and Asgore with a familiar groan…

Adrian - King of Green Gold stood - tears down his face in his dimly lit, colorless throne room… Alone…

 ** _*And nobody came…_**


	5. Chapter 3 - The Surface

Words of note

Hello everyone. Author here, and before I get on to the chapter, I wanted to elaborate on some bits and pieces behind the scenes.  
Think of this as a bit of an explanation to context, and some appropriate disclaimers. This fanfic is nothing short of late to the party, and as I've said before - a lot of the ideas and concepts I wanted to use have already been taken.

The concepts in question that I wanted to use have already been used by the OverTale (or HumanTale, as it's also called), UnderWar, UnderKeep, GlitchTale, SoulsTale (a crossover between DarkSouls and Undertale) AUs along with who-knows how many other ideas.

This phenomenon is what I like to call "Simpsons did it first" – it doesn't matter how original you try to be. Chances are, someone else has already done it, and it's going to be used long after we're all gone.

However, this conundrum does raise an interesting question;

Does it matter how original something is - be it a story, a game, or in my case - a fanfic - as long as it's actually good?

Perhaps that question isn't really important at the moment, but I think I've said more than enough.

Undertale and all respective characters Belong to Toby Fox.

Kings' tale/KingsTale is a non-canon work that I've created.

Thank you for your time. Enjoy the story!

* * *

CHAPTER 3

\- The Surface -

 _Green Gold Castle – an almost colossal fortress built short of what seemed like a few hundred feet into the upper mountainside of Mount Ebbot's neighbors. Four walls divided the Castle into four easily defensible vantage points. Two inner walls and two outer walls. Five gatehouses stood sturdy and vigilant for any potential attacker – loaded to the brim with pure unpleasantness for any uninvited guest._

 _The sun shone overhead – a harsh light emitting from its barely yellow flames…_

 _..._

The monsters have - with permission - built a campsite within the fourth wall of Green Gold's massive space. Even with all the monsters from the underground, there was still a lot of room within the fourth wall. From the outermost gatehouse, Toriel gazed outward at the almost colorless skyline with hurt on her face.

 _The landscape was a thousand different shades of colorless grey with hints of faded variants of what the surface was in memory – dull grey greens for grass, dark colorless brown was the bark for trees, the mountainsides barely retained any form of tan, blue or lush grey as the stone varied rock by rock. The only exception being Mount Ebbot, far to the east._

 _The most colorful thing any of the monsters have seen were the castle walls, and the stone itself was as black as Hotland's obsidian._

 _ _Toriel never remembered the surface being like this - drained of hope and tainted by something darker than anyone could fathom...__

 _..._

Frisk - back from the meeting with King Adrian, gently walking up to grab Toriel by her hand. Frisk - guiding Toriel back to the monsters' area - as Toriel did for Frisk what felt like mere hours ago...

"The Royal Guard is back in business then?"

A familiar fish-looking individual blurted into the crowd of monsters.

"Yes" a tall, familiar, purple-caped goat with a small crown replied.

Dogamy, Dogaressa, and the entire guard let out a loud sigh of relief.

"For a moment, I thought we lost our jobs forever."

"King Fluffybu-" ***SMACK*** "Oof!"

"Not in front of the humans, you dolt!"

"... Okay. As I was saying, the King's not done speaking yet. Also, did you really need to hit me?"

Awkward silence among the monster crowd...

"Yes."

Frisk and Toriel maintained their pace. With Asgore and Undyne at the center of the mass gathering, Toriel took initiative and moved further into the crowd - trying to get closer to Asgore while holding Frisk's hand. Frisk noticed her grip. It was tighter than it was whenever Toriel guided her through the ruins and the long spike puzzle.

 _She's concerned about something… But what?_

"The Human king has made it apparent in our terms - Ambassador Frisk as my witness, that the safety of monsters is not in his interests." The King in Purple resumed.

"To quote him exactly - _'You protect your people, I protect my people'_. Another one of his terms is that we are also not to bring harm to any human here for the duration of our stay. In return…"

Asgore looked down again… He knew what he needed to tell his subjects, but his strength to do so refused to come easily. Undyne, knowing Asgore – having sparred with him, having Asgore take her on as a student when she was just a little punk almost knew that what Asgore was _about_ to tell them was not something he _wanted_ to tell them.

"In return… We share with King Adrian our knowledge and technology."

For a people whose entire existence was on the line, the crowd took the news surprisingly well… Save a few of the guards, some scientists, and a specific few monsters that knew what Asgore was talking about when he said "Technology". Thankfully, those specific monsters present were few - Undyne, Alphys, Sans, anyone that's heard of a Gaster Blaster, and…

"YOU PROMISED HIM WHAT?!"

Toriel stepped forward – Frisk held close by the hand until they were finally at Asgore's side. Upon seeing Frisk again, Undyne took a sigh of relief that her friend was present, if only for the moment.

 _"We need to talk later on a different subject still!"_

Toriel whispered into Asgore's floppy goat-ear before backing off.

Seeing their former queen distressed, it didn't take much brains for the crowd to realize that the technology the monsters were using, and the knowledge available to them wasn't as short of harmless as they had initially hoped. It didn't take long for concerns to be voiced among themselves.

"Oh, that's why Asgore needs the guard back."  
"Duration of stay? Are we going to be kicked out?"  
"Can we even trust the humans? How good even is the word of a human? I'm not talking about Frisk, I mean THESE humans!"  
"Where would we even go, or run to? Everything in this barely colored world looks the same!"

"Barely colored? Everything I see is GREY!"  
"Because everything IS grey, Doggo! That's not your eyes.

"EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD IS COLORLESS AND GREY!"

More guards arose their concerns.

"There was more color back in the Underground than here, and it HURTS me to say that!"  
"Ever since we got here, everything about this land just feels WRONG!"  
"Why are we even here?"

"We spent DECADES wishing at the echo flowers to see the surface, and this is it? This colorless world that feels like it can turn on us at any moment?"

"The barrier wasn't keeping us in, it was keeping the humans out!"  
"I don't want to die here because I wanted to be free!"  
"If I knew the surface sucked, I would've stayed underground where I feel safe!"

 **"SHUT IT!"**

Undyne, with her commanding presence yelled at the top of her lungs – ceasing the crowd's noise – her voice reverberating off the sides of the mountain. A passing crowd of humans – soldiers, serfs, and citizens paused to Undyne's call as well.

After a brief silence, Undyne mustered herself together.

 _I need to raise morale… I'm not letting anyone give up on Asgore yet!  
I can't let anyone give up yet! __Everyone's hopes and dreams…  
I can't let them stop yet! I can't let them give up hope!  
I need… To keep them together! Keep hope alive!_

"We were sealed under that oversized rock known as Mount Ebbot for TWO THOUSAND YEARS!"

Undyne continued.

"Not a single one of us could've known that the surface would look like this. Not even Frisk!

"And now, we're finally free… We're finally HERE, above ground. Free from our prison! Isn't that what all of us wanted?

"Isn't that what we spent centuries underneath that mountain, wishing to the echo flowers for? Hoping for? DREAMING for?!

"To see the stars under a night sky? To breathe the surface air as the wind blows into our faces?"

Undyne spoke of the wind, and just then a wind from the north made itself present to the audience. Journeying south into everyone's sense of touch, the wind gently caressed Undyne's hair unto itself as the southbound wind passed them by.

... Moment of silence, then Undyne Resumed.

"What matters is that we're free. Our prophecy of the Angel is fulfilled! The underground will go empty, it IS empty! Every one of monster kind is free!"

Frisk clutched her heart locket. Her soul aching – aware that the underground still had someone in it. Someone she had to leave behind.

 _No… Asriel's still in there… As… That emotionless flower… Suffering…  
And I can't do anything about it…_

Undyne resumed.

"Don't you remember your struggles trapped under that rock?

"The hopelessness we faced?

"Our battles with despair - both shared and personal?

"Despite that powerful enemy, we lived - no, we THRIVED underground - Dreaming and hoping for a life on the surface REGARDLESS of the new challenges that awaited us up here - in absolute defiance of a force that despises us for no reason save we have the audacity not to lay down and die!

"Now you punks want to 'go back' because we still have to deal with those same forces of despair that we've been fighting and winning against for two thousand years?

"You're going to just 'give up' like those two thousand years meant nothing to you?!"

... No response from the crowd of monsters, but from the humans who were paying attention - a soldier from the wall above them took off his helmet, and yelled down.

"Hey... Life hasn't really been sunshine and rainbows for us up here either... But... If we haven't given up yet...Then..."

He paused. Something was forming around his eyes. Wiping it away with his fist, the wall guard took another deep breath.

"Then... THEN NEITHER SHOULD ANY OF YOU!"

Frisk's grip on her locket only tightened.

 _Those were the same words Undyne told me whenever I failed to save them... Those words of encouragement...  
_

Another soldier from the wall walked beside the man, took off his helmet and gave his own two cents.

"Fish lady!"

Undyne rolled her eyes instead of chucking a spear at him - entertaining her personal moment of déjà vu.

"We don't really live as long as you guys, but... But your hope for a better future... If you're gonna keep hoping for that future, then...

"Then... We'll hope for that with you - alongside you!"

Another soldier - this time from ground level raised his spear and yelled to Undyne.

"You haven't given up hope, we won't loose it either!"

More humans gathered around from the wall and the ground - the monsters feeling the ache of hopelessness, hollowness, and loneliness from the humans' souls as hope slowly returned to the humans.

Undyne looked down - humbled by their words, she was unable to meet any of their gaze.

 _I wanted to give everyone hope. Instead I gave **everyone** hope... Heh... Ironic._

Undyne managed to equip a smile, then silence.

...The wind gently howled as the harbinger of more silence. The humans eventually started returning to their duties as the silence carried on - tears of solace on some of their faces from Undyne's speech.

 *** The silence has finally been interrupted.**

"WAIT, SO DOES THAT MEAN I GET TO BE A ROYAL GUARD NOW?" Announced a familiar tall skeleton with a red scarf and no concept of an indoor voice.

Undyne tried to conceal it, but a surprised giggle still wheezed it's way out. Others from among the gathering were having similar fits - the human members were already trying to fight back tears. Undyne took another breath.

"Yes Papyrus. The war with humans is SUPPOSE to be over, but with the surface not really being as great as we originally hoped - the royal guard is indeed back, which means monsters can enlist for it again".

"BUT CAN I JOIN IT THOUGH? WHEN ASGORE TOLD ME IT DISBANDED I THOUGHT-"

"That was the Old Guard. We're establishing a new one."

Undyne interrupted Papyrus - still showing respect to her closest friend, she signaled the tall skeleton.

"Just get over here you!"

Papyrus, in his battle body made at a costume party obliged while making one request.

"PLEASE DON'T NOOGIE THE SKELETON!"

"We're just going to have you recite the Guard's Oath Papyrus. You're going to be fine."

"WOWIE! HUMAN FRISK. I TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID - THIS IS THE BEST POSSIBLE ENDING EVER!"

Papyrus took a knee, and in the presence of the monsters and some by-standing humans - Asgore, Undyne and Papyrus went over the New Royal Guard's Oath.


	6. Chapter 4 - The Mold

CHAPTER 4 - The Mold

 _Within the King's quarters – a small humble room with a Queen-sized bed of preserved Pinewood to the far-side, a medium-sized footlocker at the bed's foot, a writer's desk and chair aligned to the wall of the room's entrance – less than two feet to the right of an outward-opening door. The room was dimly lit with nothing but a shallow candle within a tin bowl on the writer's desk and a window shrouded by dark curtains were to light the room._

 _Within the humble desk seat – Adrian of Green Gold sat staring blankly at a thick, worn, dusty journal before him – the personal chronicle of the King._

 _Within his dimly lit bedroom, Adrian of Green Gold sat at his desk. Dried tears from his meeting with Asgore and Frisk less than an hour ago remained upon his face. Adrian sat at his desk... Alone._

 ** _*And nobody came…_**

 ** _. . ._**

 _Toriel and Frisk sat within their tent, sharing the rest of a leftover butterscotch-cinnamon pie. Their tent was a humble, decently sized spider-silk construct of good quality. There's enough room to enter, find a spot, and sit down upon a tough, yet neatly tailored purple spider-silk rug. To the back of the tent less than a couple of feet from Toriel and Frisk were two sleeping bags made to imitate sleeping on clouds of heaven. Sewn-into the rug's center lies the Dreemur family crest – the Delta Rune. The symbol of Monster kind's hope since before even the beginning._

"You wanted to see me, Tori?"

Asgore introduced himself at the tent's entrance. Toriel nodded as Frisk beckoned Asgore to sit down beside them. Asgore obliged, moving to sit down next to Toriel - his wife and kingdom's former queen. To his dismay, Toriel re-adjusted her position away from Asgore yet closer to Frisk – positioning the three in a triangular formation with the Delta Rune positioned front and center between Father, mother and child.

Asgore paused.

"This... Isn't about me reforming the Guard, is it?"

"No, it's not."

A pause occurred. Then Asgore followed-up.

"Well, at least the war with humanity is over. At least the local ones... Sort of. It feels more like an awkward peace treaty. Not really what any of us had in mind."

Toriel took a deep breath, then calmly spoke.

"How long has it been since monsters were sealed away, Asgore?"

Toriel's voice was not it's normal self. Asgore and Frisk picked-up on it immediately. After a pause, Asgore answered Toriel's question.

"Two thousand years. Give or take a decade."

Toriel's face darkened. The condition of the surface – the bleak, grey, colorless landscape she saw from the threshold of Green Gold's Gatehouse haunted her thoughts - and it hindered her ability to continue speaking.

"I thought Humanity would've changed… That after all this time... That somewhere within those two thousand years, they would've realized what they were capable of doing... That somewhere along that line, they would've… Like the old days, we could..."

Toriel's mind was clouded with conflict. She imagined - recreating in her mind how the lush greens of the treetops and the steppe grass that would have been present so long ago. How before the humans lost themselves to fear- how they and monsters long ago used to coexist in true peace - but the colorless land wailed-out to Toriel as she was at the gatehouse. The surface had suffered a strange sort of neglect. The land had removed itself from those times of prosperity and peace as an ancient, long-gone era. Frisk moved closer to give her adoptive mother a side-hug to comfort her adoptive mother as she continued.

"The land, Asgore… You're a gardener, right? You can see it... The land… At the gatehouse, when I looked into that colorless landscape, at my feet was a flower with some kind of black mold growing on it..."

Asgore continued listening - His ears perked to attention at Toriel's mention of a mold.

"When we were young... We've seen mold on plants before... But this _thing_... I've never..."

Toriel mustered herself together for her next sentence - putting a hand on Frisk as she embraced her.

"Blood had been spilt on this land, Asgore... **_Human_** blood... _**By other humans**_. I don't want to say you were right. I could never bring myself to say that, but... It's... It's as if they have _embraced_ this horrible, demented, vile... _thing -_ that pitch-black mold I saw on that flower! They've... It's..."

Toriel couldn't describe what she wanted to say. When she gazed at the land from the threshold of the gatehouse, the land didn't speak in any words, or any verbal language. The land wailed to Toriel in pain - weeping heavily from what sins have come to pass upon it.

For two-thousand years - love, compassion, virtue, hope - these simple things had been missing from the land - mere husks of themselves, or rather melting snow - humanity was living with with what little of it was left _here_. For two thousand years, mankind has not known peace as it did when the monsters were living beside them. Two thousand years, that demented, vile, misery-inflicting, mold-like parasite has been allowed to flourish in the monsters' absence - draining the color from the environment and the souls of those on it. The land could do nothing but weep for two thousand years as it's color - the lifeblood and essence of the land was slowly drained from it for two-thousand years. The sins that have wormed into the land and stockpiled over the course of roughly twenty centuries and one decade, give or take...

 _That black mold... It's infected the land._

Toriel's eyes started to tear up.

"Chara was human... Those _children_ were human... But... This land... Where is the _humanity_ that was so abundant in them?! Where is the color in everyone's souls - the lush, distinctive color that those children had in full?!"

Asgore, finally gathering his courage moved over and gave Toriel the embrace a spouse gives to one they've said their wedding vows to.

Toriel released tears onto Asgore's purple cloak, then with a whimper managed to conclude.

"Where are the lush green hills? Where is the life in the forests? What happened to the beautiful mountains that surrounded this place? This place... The humans in it... Why does everything feel so **wrong**..."

Toriel wept deeply in Asgore's warm, soft, purple cloak as Asgore and Frisk embraced Toriel to ward-off her dread.

"I- I'm afraid. I'm afraid that now we're here, everything that has happened, everything Frisk has..."

"Tori?"

"I'm afraid that with the snap of someone's fingers, that this will be taken away from us all over again. I don't want that. I don't want to go back, but it feels as if the humans never even _left_ to begin with... Like something is there - something that makes sure humanity _can't_ leave... Like somethin's holding them back..."

Time passed. Asgore and Frisk held Toriel in their embrace. In Asgore's mind, he remembered a certain heartache - his mind taken to that time Asriel died in his garden. His mind wandered once again. In Asgore's mind, he saw upon a wooden throne, a human king clad in a green cloak sat in a dark, dimly lit throne-room, alone... And nobody is coming to see him.

 _He's still up there... In that fortress of a castle. Waiting... Hurting... Afraid to show weakness or vulnerability - to **anyone**... The same as I was..._

Asgore spoke.

"Adrian is hurting, Toriel."

"... What?"

Toriel, after what seemed like an hour of hiding her face in Asgore's cloak was finally able to raise her head and talk to her husband face-to-face as they were able to do once upon a long time ago. Asgore continued.

"The Human King... I saw his soul. It _was_ a soul of perseverance, but now Toriel... He's grieving. He's fighting a despair we both had faced long ago..."

Toriel turned to Frisk, she nodded in response. Toriel's face sank. She put her face back into Asgore's purple cloak where her tears were already drying. Asgore reached into a pocket within one of the pouches of his plate armor - pulling out a pure white tissue with the signature Delta Rune upon it's four corners - giving it to his wife.

"Thank you, Asgore"

Toriel thanked her husband before blowing her nose into the soft handkerchief.

After a moment of time and silence, the family heard footsteps outside the Tent. The familiar sound of Undyne's voice came to address the tent's occupants.

"Hey Toriel. Someone wanted to talk to you. It's one of the human guards from the Castle. He says he wanted to talk to you and Asgore about the Human King. Adrian, yea that guy… Uh... Yeah... Okay mate, Listen. YOU can address him as King Adrian 24/7. Asgore's the one and only I will EVER address as MY King. Got it?"

"Just send him in Undyne"

Frisk spoke to the entrance to the Tent.

"You got it Ambassador Frisk! Hang on a sec."

Undyne's voice quieted but wasn't enough to keep the Royal trio from overhearing.

"Listen to me, you absolute PUNK. If you EVER, and I mean EVER as much as THINK of hurting anyone of those three while you're under my watch, I will PERSONALLY introduce you to my fists as they knock every single one of your pearly-white teeth out, and crush your head within that shiny tin-can you call a helmet. THEN I will - also personally, toss you off the edge of this fortress's one of many cliffs! DO. YOU. COMPREHEND?! GOOD! MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IT WRITTEN DOWN, OR I WILL WRING YOUR SCRAWNY LITTLE NECK, AND I MEAN PHYSICALLY!"

There was an awkward silence before Undyne finished laying down her potential wrath.

"Not even your giant swords or magical weapon shenanigan-shticks will be able to save you from my fury! Got it?"

While overhearing all of this, Toriel gave Frisk a look.

"… Sorry Mom. I'll talk to Undyne about it later"

Frisk apologized to her adoptive mother.

After overhearing Undyne's verbal smack-down on the unlucky soul that (according to what they were told) simply wanted to talk to them about King Adrian, Undyne finally let the human in question into the tent. The moment he stepped-foot into the tent, Asgore immediately let off an apology.

"My apologies about Undyne sir. She is known to take her job very seriously, and her opinions can get a little - as Papyrus would put it - 'murder-y' at times."

The guard replied.

"She's a good Captain, your majesty. Her loyalty to you and her ability to inspire hope in others should be something you are very proud of."

From the impression King Adrian left them - Asgore, Toriel and Frisk were surprised by the human's response. Adrian's words echoed within Asgore and Frisk from when they were in that dark, dimly-lit throne room from what felt like less than an hour ago - give or take.

 _You are KING Asgore Dreemur of the Monsters of Mount Ebott. I will address you as such. You are to address yourself as such. Get some self-respect._

The guard took his seat in front of the tent entrance - the Delta Rune, the monster's symbol of hope still perfectly visible in-between the four of them. His voice was not demeaning or derogatory in any way. It had a firmness as a courtier giving news to a superior - a strange integrity that had no intent, save one of blatant honesty. The familiarity of his presence and now the familiarity of his voice was having Asgore and Frisk itch for where in recent events they've met this man.

Asgore analyzed the guard's attire.

 _An adjustable one-size-fits-all cuirass around his chest over a green gambeson. Simple linen pants held-up by a simple belt. Leather boots are equipped around his shins. His face concealed by a helmet. Flexible leather gloves were covering his hands up to his forearms. Bits and pieces of plate armor were scattered around his attire such as forearm plates and shin guards._ _This was a standard, if not minimal kit for a basic human foot soldier or guardsman.  
_

The outsider human continued, if with not as much confidence in his own voice.

"… King Asgore… Ambassador Frisk… You might not remember me, but…"

Frisk finally connected the dots.

"Aren't you the guard that guided us to Adrian's throne room roughly an hour ago - give or take?"

The guard's head raised.

 _She... REMEMBERED me..._

"...Yes. Thank you, Ambassador Frisk."

The guard unstrapped his helmet and unequipped it – revealing his face in full to Frisk and her adoptive parents.

 _Hair as black as coal. Eyes – a grey faded blue, as if the color was vacuumed from them... Just like Adrian's eyes._

"Again, thank you Ambassador Frisk... I'm not very good with lasting impressions, so..."

Frisk stared blankly at the guard - something in her own memory was stirring - something about someone from Hotland - a 'heat flamesman' of sorts.

The family of three exchanged their glances, then the guard continued - reaching his hand out in formal greeting.

"Please... Call me Jyack - Jyack the courtier."

* * *

 ***Author here.**

Ok, so I actually don't know what to feel about this chapter. I did want to do something with Toriel, but 3/4th's through the chapter I forgot to save my changes and had to rebuild the chapter from scratch. I also managed to forget what I was doing in the first place and this Frankenstein-rebuild of a chapter is what came from it.

On one hand, this chapter allowed (some of) the world-building information from the prologues to have been shared with Toriel, and the Chapter highlights her reaction to it - going into character development for how well she's been holding-up after seeing the surface for the first time in... Well... Under the assumption she's actually been there from start to finish, and wasn't actually born in the UnderGround - only hearing stories of the world above them (Then again - I'm also hilariously inconsistent when it comes to certain information and tidbits, so if I DID say anything, I've probably forgotten and not on purpose. It's no excuse for inconsistent writing, and I'm gonna have to double check a lot of stuff later).

On the other hand, it pretty much does the same job as the previous chapter with Undyne's speech - with the surface being this colorless, bland place that nobody likes looking at, plus the same fears and insecurities the monsters have longed to get away from are still present - some worse than others.

I guess I wanted to emphasize something - that this fanfic isn't about "UnderTale characters in a Fantasy setting". Glitchtale, humantale, and all those other countless AU's/AT's (Alternate timelines) have already done that, and perhaps have done so far better than whatever I can set-up Kings' Tale to ever be.

What Kings' Tale (or the idea I want to give off for Kings' Tale) is that it's the UnderTale's surface **gone horribly wrong.** As for why humanity hasn't advanced it's technology or other shenanigans... Well... That's for me to keep to myself until the time is right to reveal that to you.

I do want to keep some semblance of mystery around the story, but I also want to straighten out possible confusion on less obvious parts whenever they make themselves present - all while still doing my best to respect the intelligence of the readers.

Anyways, thank you very much for your time. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If not, I understand. As I said earlier, I'm not really happy with this one either. Hopefully the next chapter will go smoother than this one did.

Thank you very much for your patience.


	7. Chapter 5 - The Courtier

Chapter 5 - The Courtier

 _"...Don't worry Lucy...  
_ _"We're almost home Sis. The King's men are with us now...  
"We'll be with Ma and Pa again...  
"Everything's going to be fine, Lucy... You'll see...  
"Those people... Those bandits... Won't hurt any of us ever again...  
_ _"Mom and Dad are going to be okay... We're marching home... We're going to save_ _everyone... We'll be heroes, Lucy...  
"Everything will go back to normal... We'll play a game of catch with the other kids after harvest is over, right?  
"Everything's going to be okay... Everything's... going... to be..."_

Asgore felt that pain again – those trappings of despair within Adrian were present in Jyack's soul. A thin smile couldn't do anything to hide the exhaustion laying heavy underneath Jyack's eyes. Asgore looked over to Toriel.

"Are…"

Toriel gazed upon the man's soul to determine what mystery she was gazing upon.

 _A faded hue within the soul is barely visible... Integrity? There's a hue outlining the soul as well... It's not the Black mold thankfully, but... Bravery? No, fear, perhaps? If so, then what could he be afraid of, yet, rather... Why?_

"Are you alright?"

"No... None of us have been for some time…"

Toriel's face faded from the guard's words.

"I've already said this, but my name is Jyack. I'm King Adrian's Courtier… Jyack the Courtier"

The castle guard raised his head, reintroducing himself. Taking off his glove, he held out his hand once again to greet the family - properly. His posture and expression looked as if he had been broken away from some distant trance.

Frisk shook Jyack's hand in kind.

"Nice to meet you, Jyack."

Asgore shook Jyack's hand after Frisk let go. The guard replied.

"Thank you, King Asgore and Ambassador Frisk. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Jyack looked over to Toriel.

"You must be Mrs. Dreemur, then, I take it?"

Toriel and Asgore exchanged glances.

"Just call me Toriel, sir Jyack"

"I'm no sir, miss. Just a nobody-soldier called Jyack."

Asgore turned back to the Courtier.

"If I knew we had company, I would've made some tea for the occasion."

Jyack lowered his head again in humility. His smile faded instantly at the suggestion and His hands retracted back to himself.

"I thank you for your kindness, but... That won't be necessary. I need to talk to you… About... My King."

Asgore, Frisk and Toriel payed attention to the courtier's words.

"I wanted to apologize on my king's behalf... He wasn't always like this… **We** weren't always like this."

Silence dominated for a moment, then Jyack continued.

"I remember stories of what my grandparents told me - stories shared to them by their grandparents and so-on. Legends of how the land was full of color... Prosperity... _Plenty_ "

Jyack raised his head once again - his smile barely returning, if at all.

"Myths of an era where our lands were shared by monsters... That they... made this world into a...

"A better place?" Frisk interrupted.

"...A **_paradise_**... Not a single soul knew hunger, want, or even..."

The Courtier proceeded to caress his helmet as if he were to polish it.

"Even though the land's color was gone, we still had... things... like hope... or, rather... some semblance of it..."

Toriel's face saddened as she listened to Jyack's tale. Something was in his words that was striking out to her - his pauses, his fidget-like behavior with his helmet. Toriel's own words struck-out to her.

 _Blood had been spilt on this land, Asgore... Human blood... By other humans...  
_

"When I was just... My village was... I was with... when we..."

The Courtier closed his eyes for a long moment, taking a deep breath. When he opened them, he looked down upon his helmet that he had been caressing with his hands. Recollection could be seen in his eyes. Whatever it was, Toriel and Asgore could tell immediately that it wasn't going to be a colorful tale. With another breath and a swallow, Jyack spoke.

"When I was a boy, my village was attacked. I and my sister, Lucy... We ran to this Castle to get help."

Jyack's voice started cracking.

"...We had no food, water, or rest before we arrived at the gatehouse."

Jyack slowly lifted his head - still caressing his helm as if it was some precious thing.

"She wasn't much for talking, but on our way I... Remember talking to her, I..."

Jyack straightened his face and posture immediately. Catching himself, he sat upright and cleared his throat.

 _I need to get to the point before I bore them or something... I need to tell them... About... **Them**..._

"I'm sorry your grace, i-it's..."

"Just call me Asgore, sir. It's fine, really."

"... King Asgore... I'm sorry, it's just..."

After being silent for most of the conversation, Toriel - her face disheartened from Jyack's tone and introduction, couldn't help but ask.

"... What happened next, Jyack?"

The courtier straightened his face and posture, and shared with them his tale.

 _ **. . .**_

* * *

 _Once upon a time, two children fled from their village - a brother and a sister._

 _Their home was attacked. With no food nor rest, the children ran for a full day and one night to the King's castle to get help._

 _When they reached the fortress walls at dawn, their cry for help was heard by the king's son - a child wearing a striped shirt and a heart locket._

 _The prince brought the two children before his father, the king. The two were given proper food, drink, and rest._

 _The king amassed a relief force that would drive-out the attackers and be stationed at the children's village as the town guard._

 _The children went with the relief force back to their home, full of hope._

 _They dreamed of the warm embrace of their parents again._

 _They had hope to play ball with their friends again._

 _Everything would be normal once more, and they would have a happy ending... But their hopes and dreams were dashed to pieces.  
_

 _When they arrived back at their village with the relief force, their home had been turned to ash._

 _The day before, when the children were running to the castle for help, their friends and parents fought the attackers with everything they had._

 _One by one, the townsfolk were slain without mercy. With the sacrifice of their friends and family, they bought the children enough time to escape._

 _To keep his sister off the streets, the brother swore fealty to the prince's father. The king allowed the children to stay at the castle as Courtiers._

 _The prince treated the brother and sister as if they were his older siblings, but nothing the prince could do could heal the grief that had shattered their hearts or fight the despair that plagued the children's souls beyond any repair, or healing._

 _With time - vengeance, hatred,_ _fear and despair overcame the two children._

 _The next month, the sister fell ill. She requested her brother would come see her._

 _The brother - obsessed with hunting down the men that had destroyed their lives, didn't respond to his own sister's summon._

 _The next day, the sister died in the arms of the prince.  
_

 _The brother had been so blind by his anger, fear, and grief from loosing everything he had that he didn't see the one precious thing that was still in front of him.  
The prince - despite his grief emerged with hardened resolve. He would reach out to the people of the Kingdom and help wherever it was required._

 _The Prince did everything in his power to instill hope in others - even when he suffered for it - no matter how much he suffered for it. He refused to quit.  
_ _He went out of his way for anyone and everyone he could. The brother became his bodyguard and watched the Prince's back.  
_

 _Never again would the prince watch people suffer from the safety of castle walls if he could stop it._

 _But to the knowledge of few, the story did not end here..._

 _One day, the Prince took the Brother to one of the highest peaks of Green Gold's mountains. With a blood-oath, the Prince vowed._

 _"Never again, will these forces of Fear, Deceit, Despair, Vengeance, and Hatred be allowed a foothold into our kingdom.  
"Never again, will souls of Kindness be exploited by the wicked if I can stop it._

 _" I am Prince James of Green Gold, and I will be the hope of this land - the hope that will never let these evil forces take another soul ever again"_

 ** _. . ._**

Jyack concluded his tale, and the family listened.

"Adrian's son… That boy… He went around the Castle and kingdom helping every one of us with anything we needed... He'd talk to us when our souls were feeling empty… Played ball with the other kids within the kingdom... He gave us all hope as if he was keeping none for himself... He gave us _everything_ , as if he had nothing to keep..."

Jyack raised his head - making eye contact with the child across from him, sitting just behind the central triangle of the Delta Rune, in between Asgore and Toriel. Frisk's fists started clenching again, Asgore lowered his head once more, and Toriel's expression wasn't much different.

"On behalf of my king, I'm sorry Asgore. We've probably given a horrible first impression, given the surface and what-not…

"I'm just a worthless guard, and it probably means nothing in the grand scheme of things but… For what it's worth… I'm sorry"

Frisk got up from her seat and embraced Jyack. After a moment of respite, Frisk let go of the Courtier - looking Jyack dead in the eyes, Frisk whispering to him.

"You are not worthless, Jyack. Everybody matters, even when you don't think you do."

Frisk returned to her seat between Asgore and Toriel. After a moment, Jyack turned to leave the tent without another word. Hesitating, he turned back to the royal family to say a last word to the three of them.

"He was so much like you, Frisk... He... _**Jamie**_... would've loved to have met all of you...

"Thank you, Ambassador Frisk, Queen Toriel, King Asgore... My time with you means much to me... Thank you."

Jyack departed from the tent - it's curtain closed. A familiar voice reached out and paused Jyack.

"Hey. I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I just worry for them alot, and... Are you okay man? What's going on?"

"You are a good captain, Undyne."

The footsteps of Jyack returning to his station at the castle faded. Frisk held the locket close to her heart, gazing deeply into it's engraving.

 _Best Friends Forever..._

The tent's entry curtain opened again, and Undyne poked her head in.

"Uh... Frisk? What happened while I was being told that the human-version of the guard had an actual cooking position?"


	8. Chapter 6 - Old Friend

Chapter 6 - Old Friend

 _A dusk, dimly lit rectangular throne room of cold stone stands with six flawless grey pillars at attention between the throne room's great mourning oak doors to the wooden throne, side-by-side in pairs of two. To the left and right of these stone guardians stood dusty tables and chairs, resembling an unorthodox hall that once held many feasts with bright braziers of light, hot food and drink for any who wished to join in fellowship with the king and his family. Now left to be nothing but buried in dust.  
_

 _Adrian - King of Green Gold sat at one such table in his dimly lit, colorless throne room. He had washed his face of the tears that dried upon his cheeks, yet_ _ _a darkened expression remained upon his face. Adrian had only the simplest of attire equipped - a white shirt, simple pants, belt, and a green, loose fitting jacket of cloth. If not for his crown, one could mistake King Adrian for a plainly-dressed landowner.  
__

 _ _On a dusty chair, in the most plain of garments - Adrian sat at a dusty table with his golden crown in his hands...__

 _ _In the shadow of the second pair of pillars, another figure leaned against the flawless grey stone. Concealed in the pillar's shadow, the figure spoke to the King.__

"Long ago, two races ruled the earth: The Humans and the Monsters"

Adrian raised his head, recognizing the voice. He replied to it.

"One day, war broke out between the two races. After a long battle, the humans were victorious. they sealed the monsters away with a magic spell."

Adrian stirred from his seat to face the figure who had ownership of the voice, continuing.

"It's good to hear from you, Lord Gael."

"... You've never believed those stories. Did you, my King?"

Adrian faced himself back to the table, returning his gaze deeply into the single sapphire jewel forged into his golden crown as he caressed it between his hands. He gave no reply to the voice. After his silence was heard, footsteps approached Adrian from the pillar.

"You never believed the other tales either then? The ones about how the land wasn't always this colorless landscape we've seen our whole lives? About the land having color?

"These myths, legends, and children's tales that were told to give us hope in such a bleak... future..."

Adrian had no answer. The figure known as Gael continued.

"Makes sense. The Empire burned a lot of the historical records and specifics regarding our new guests... However, our own castle library remained... _mostly_ untouched by such an information purge..."

No response from the humbly clothed King.

"The Seven Great Sorcerers of the Gods would have had to create the seal in question that kept them underground... How does something like that just 'fall' one day?"

The king remained silent in his seat, fidgeting with his crown. The shadowed human shifted the subject.

"Legends built up around Mount Ebbot..."

Adrian took a deep breath, but spoke no words.

"Those who climb the mountain of Ebbot never return... Why do you think anybody would climb a mountain with such a reputation, my King?"

Adrian, after spending most of the conversation in silence, stood up from his seat - leaving his crown on the table. He turned to face Gael - still invisible from the shadows, save a glimmer of light that failed to illuminate anything beyond the outline, and Adrian replied to the shadow of the voice.

"Why would any sane, sentient any _thing_ want to live in this world, Gael? This land devoid of..."

The king stuttered, but quickly rephrased.

"A world where people have worried about where their next meal is going to be from, whether because of thieves or famine taking that from them?

"A world where cruelty begets cruelty simply because it can, and no one seems interested enough to notice until it's too late?

"A world where simple things- things like hope, compassion, virtue, love - these simple little things feel outright _foreign_ _..._

"Answer me, _Lord Captain Gael of the Green Gold Castle Guard.._. Why would _**any**_ sentient living creature want to live here?"

Silence invaded the room... Then the shadow found his answer.

"Why did you, my king?"

Adrian took a moment to think. The humbly dressed king sat back down, returning to fidget with his golden crown with his gaze fixed on the single sapphire jewel forged into it. Memories trickled back into Adrian's thoughts. The shadow had asked the king a good question.

The shadow let his guard down - the voice softened, the tone readjusted - all as if to address a friend and not a king.

"Remember the first time we met, Addie? When we were young lads - Your father being angry about my village burning down. I had nowhere to go. Family gone. Had to be years before that Jyack kid was born..."

The human shadow moved forward toward Adrian. With not more than the sound of a chair's legs being dragged outward, Gael sat across from his King, a red cloak of velvet almost flowing from his concealed figure - giving away no detail, save that the figure belonged to a human. Gael continued.

"Your father took me in as a retainer, you took me in like an older brother..."

Adrian raised his head, replying to the figure in the red cloak.

"I remember those drills we did together... I remember running around the castle walls with you... Training with you..."

"Remember the time you nailed me on the forehead in sparring practice?"

Adrian let out a barely audible chuckle.

"I remember being worried when I did that."

"I remember it like yesterday. You going all _I'm so sorry_ _Gael_ _! I didn't mean to hit that hard!_ "

Adrian gave another slight chuckle, then Gael followed-up.

"Thankfully it was just a bruise."

"You were bleeding all over the courtyard, Gael."

"Your father had a good doctor..."

Silence overtook the conversation again...

"Adrian... About the monsters..."

 **"They're not monsters, Gael."**

"... Well... What are you going to do with them?"

Silence reminded the two that it was present in the room for another time, then Adrian replied.

"Nothing. I made a deal. _We protect our people, they protect theirs. We don't touch them, and vice versa._ Besides, We have more immediate matters... Gael... Did you find it yet?"

"... Addie..."

 **"... You didn't find him yet... Did you?"**

"... Addie..."

 **"Two days, Gael... One to find hi-... his body. One to lay... Her... to rest."**

The king got up from his seat - crown in hand. Adrian slowly paced towards his wooden throne - laying a hand on one of it's rests. Gael didn't want to speak, but he had to try.

"Adrian... He could still be-"

 **"He's gone, Gael..."**

Adrian raised his voice, it reverberated throughout the room and it's stone. The cold, distant darkness that was all too familiar in Adrian's tone had found it's way back home, and Gael realized the mistake in his suggestion.

 **"In my heart... He's not coming back... In that single moment..."**

Adrian turned to face Gael's figure within the red cloak. Despite his face being concealed under the red hood, Gael couldn't hide anything from his King.

 **"I want to believe he's somewhere out there, Gael... That... He's... Breathing... Waiting for us to come in and save the day... Alive..."**

Adrian stepped forward, looking Gale in his barely visible, green-tinted eyes from across the room.

"When I rode toward that smouldering wreckage off the road... Saw my own wife... That smouldering wagon... Why would she have a _sword_ in her hand... if it simply was bandits...

"I ran with her body in my hands, past the devastated escort guards... When I couldn't find him, my hopes raised... Somewhere around the corner, somewhere in hiding... I had hope... That I wouldn't find him, or maybe he'd find me..."

Adrian put a hand in his coat pocket, reaching for some small thing that wasn't visible, but it didn't mean it wasn't there.

"But the moment I saw..."

From the coat, Adrian pulled-out a white, wool pocket-rabbit. It had burn-markings in it's side and outer leg, and along the bunny's upper back and head was a purple-red stain. Adrian continued.

"One of the surviving guards of the caravan claimed... He saw my son... Heading towards Mount Ebbot with not one, not two, but **THREE CROSSBOW BOLTS IN HIS BACK, Gael..."**

Gael did not reply. He couldn't say anything... He could only listen as his king - a man he knew since childhood spoke in a manner cold, harsh, distant, and full of grief.

 **"I screamed for him, Gael. I called for my Jamie as our entire vanguard tore the woods apart looking for him. We went to Ebbot village- the closest source of refuge from the ambush site. He wasn't there!"**

Silence triumphed in the room after Adrian's statement. The king lowered his head, a familiar clear liquid ran down from his eyes as his throat tightened. After a moment, Adrian straightened up and gave his friend one simple order.

 **"Two days have passed since then, Gael... I've already buried my wife...  
**

" **Bring** **my son** **home, Gael... Let us lay him... to rest... In our father's crypts**... Please..."

Without a single word, Gael nodded - getting up from his seat. Without a second of hesitation, Gael - still concealed in his red cloak, left the room - the great oaken doors moaning once again as if in agony.

After a minute or two of standing in the cold throne room alone, Adrian dawned his cloak - fastening it around his body - same as before, save without his protective gear. Adrian felt somewhat lighter without his chain Hauberk and plate pauldrons, yet leagues less secure about his health.

 _I should at least wear my gambeson._

Adrian thought to himself as he went about fixing his cloak and coat's collar.

He took a moment to analyze himself in the mirror.

 _After thirty-two years of life... I feel like a husk of a person rather than myself... I could probably shave, maybe comb my hair, perhaps give the crown a day off... but I can't be bothered to care... I can't bring myself to do anything anymore...  
_

A strange thought came to him as his mind strayed to the meeting between himself, Asgore, and Frisk.

 _That goat and I do look simila-... No. Perish the thought. He hasn't seen... He doesn't know that... Would his ambassador understand? Frisk may be a Child, but_ _... That embrace from the meeting... The compassion... Virtue... The... emotion from that child's soul_ _...If only for a moment, I felt as if..._ _No. Frisk is King Asgore's subject. She is the royal ambassador of King Asgore Dreemur of the monsters of Mount Ebbot._

 _That child is not my Jamie... And Jamie's not coming back... And neither is Lucy... Or my...  
_

Adrian turned to his writer's desk with the giant dusty book on top of it - The Personal Chronicle of the King. He opened one of the desk's drawers - reaching in to pull out a heart shaped locket. Adrian opened the locket and read it's interior inscription.

 _Best Family Forever..._

Many memories went through Adrian like a river current. He took the locket and wrapped it around his neck. Holding it's heart in one hand, Adrian grabbed a quarterstaff in the other - thinking to himself once again.

 _Jamie would've loved to have met you, Frisk... You don't know it yet, but your hearts are so much alike... I could feel it when you embraced me... His kindness, his compassion, his love for those around him..._ _He'd probably ask you if there were any kid monsters to play ball wit-_

A realization ambushed Adrian as if someone threw themselves out of a window.

 _Jamie was never told about the legends of MT Ebbot... He would have never known about the monsters... All he knew about Ebbot village was that it was on the other side of the mountain... Could it be possible that either Asgore or Frisk..._

The epiphany did not let go.

 _The day of the Envoy's ambush was at dawn, day before yesterday. Spending that entire day looking for the prince, but never found him and spent all of yesterday burying the queen - my wife..._

Frisk's interjection from the meeting earlier crashed through another hypothetical window in Adrian's brain.

 _ _Frisk: "We got out just yesterday."__

 _They achieved their freedom the same day I was burying her... That leaves one day - an entire DAY for the... Monsters... to have possibly found Jamie's bod-... Maybe they could've even healed...  
_

Out loud, in an otherwise quiet throne room, Adrian blurted out at almost the top of his lungs.

 _ **"I GOTTA TALK TO FRISK AND ASGORE AGAIN!"**_

In the drop of a hat, Adrian sprinted out of the throne room's doors - quarterstaff, cloak, crown and clothes. He bolted for the Castle's entrance.

A spark of something most fragile burning in his heart - Hope.

* * *

AUTHOR HERE.

So... Uh... I do have something going here, but I don't know which direction I want to go or what to expand upon.

I don't know what the audience wants to hear more about after this arc is over.

World building? Character development? UT Character's reactions to the surface, it's people, and the state of things?

I have only really scratched the surface of these things and haven't gotten any of these figured-out.

Also, I have not explained the New Guard's Oath and Asgore's New Royal Guard, so as a placeholder for plot convenience, the new guard is just there to escort their kind out of bad situations that might escalate between them and the Green Gold humans. Remember Toriel at the ruins when you encounter a froggit for the first time and she gives the froggit the glare? That's what the new guard does basically.

Next chapter's coming soon. I hope this one's scratched that itch until I can get the next one or two out.

Thank you for your patience.


	9. Chapter 7 - Stone

Chapter 7 - Stone

 _"Dad. Why is our home so weird and different?"_

 _"What do you mean, son?"_

 _"I tried to make a map of our house yesterday and I got lost trying to find the hall._ _Why so?_ _"_

 _"Well, it's so bad guys can't find their way around the place to hurt people."_

 _"... Okay."_

 _"Tell you what, son. Once_ _ _I and mom are through with business,_ I will teach you how to navigate this place.  
You need not worry about getting lost again. That sounds good. Right?"_

 _"Sure... Was the castle like this when you were a kid, dad?"  
_

 _"Yes my son, it was."_

 _"For how long?"_

 _"Since before my dad was a kid and his father before him... At least I believe so."_

 _"What about his dad's father?"_

 _"I'm unsure. My father never told me much about that man."_

 _"... How was this all built, dad?"_

 _" **Rebuilt** , my son... One stone at a time."_

 ** _. . ._**

Adrian sprinted down the Castle halls - navigating it's layout with no complications. He was born in this place. It was his playground, his father's, his father before him, and so-on. If Adrian wanted to get somewhere, he knew exactly where to go and what to do. However, this was the exception.

He didn't want to go out and meet Asgore and Frisk again, but he knew he had to. He does not want to ask Asgore - an individual he just met and barely knows that uncomfortable question, let alone the ability to phrase it. The alternative was something Adrian did not wish to speculate.

Adrian knew what to do and where to go, but he was in dread of what could await him at his destination. The questions he feared the answers of. He knew he had to triumph over such dread...

 _But can I?_

 _Can I persevere through this? Will I still bear the willpower to ***** **Continue -** even when the results are their absolute worst?  
_ _I just have to ask... They 'could' have Jamie... James 'could' be alive... But to have that hope after what I saw... The Envoy's flaming wreckage...  
_ _I need to know... If I want to know for certain, then all I have to do...  
_

 _I just need to walk up to Asgore and ask if they have a body. **Any** child's body... That doesn't sound too hard to ask! All he would know is that he or his men found... He wouldn't know who the body would be of! He probably won't tell me if-..._

 _Because he'd be afraid! He would think we'd attack the monst-... There would be a misunderstanding, and that... That would be bad for them. He_ _might even lie about it, but as long as Jamie's body is found...  
_

 _ _Asgore_ _... Frisk... Back in that throne room when we first met..._ __Why did I feel like I was meeting old friends for the first time? I never met them. I don't know them. But... Why? Or maybe, how?  
_

Adrian's mind trailed.

 _Your request was to live with us in peace... A peace I once wanted a long time ago with-... I was different back then.  
_ _Why was I so naive? How could I be such a fool? If I didn't let Jamie go to the-... If I had just said said 'no'... If circumstances were different...  
No! Focus on the task at hand! _

_Got out just yesterday,_ _right? There's a lot of monst-... Any one of them could've found the body..._ _I just need to ask... I...  
_ _I just need to ask... Just ASK.  
_

Adrian arrived at the entry hall of the castle. He paused right at the entry threshold, one hand with his walking staff, the other gently pressed against the pair of doors. Outside would be the exit of his home - the great behemoth that was GreenGold keep.

Outside of those doors were the four rings of Green Gold castle's defense. The fourth and out-most ring was the ring the monsters had set-up camp in. Adrian knew how to get there. His will to _***Continue**_ was not ready. King Adrian, for the first time in a while would need to leave this place to find his answer. Once he opened those doors and walked through to the outside, that would be it. All that he had to do next was simple.

 _If the answer is no, then my son is likely never to be found - or found by someone who won't-... James's body would never be put to rest. But I don't have an answer to my question. If they have found it... If Asgore or his men have found... If the answer to my question is "yes"...  
_ _If I want to know for absolute certain, then...  
_

Adrian took his hands, as he was pressing upon the doors, Adrian spoke - his words greeted by the bright colorless light of the sun.

"One day... The mouse must leave his hole to get the cheese!"

To say the least, Adrian's voice is not one of discretion. With great force, he shoved the great doors wide-open. Adrian bolted outside like a dog on a run. His ***SOUL** was filled with many things. Most have not touched his heart in a long time. For some of them, it was the very first time.

As fragile as it was, one of those many things was ***Hope**.

* * *

Ok, so this one's a little short for something that has been developed for roughly a month, but only because I was actually trying to cram an entire second chapter in here.

On the bright side, that's less work I have to go through for chapter 8, I... guess? I don't know.

Once this arc is over I will have no idea what to go with next, so please leave some reviews regarding the subject (or perhaps in general). I want to know what I'm doing right or wrong for the story and it's world.

At the end of this current arc is a bit of a surprise, but I'm not giving that away. Anyways, I'm sorry that this chapter's a little short but I still hope it keeps people somewhat invested until I get the next one out.

...

 **Unrelated note;**

I have no idea how to develop these non-canon characters like Adrian, Jyack, and Gael in ways to get the audience to care. Why should the audience care for these other characters when there's already half of the UnderTale cast that I've not even touched as of this point?

Adrian is basically Humantale Asgore with a bootleg Game of Thrones vibe.

Jyack's just a random kid that was completely different from what I had in mind (he was originally going to be introduced as Gael's son, who would play ball with Frisk and Monster-kid).

I haven't even decided on Gael's soul color as of yet, and was not going to even introduce him until much MUCH later where he would challenge Undyne in a quarterstaff sparring match.

If I am doing something right already, then how am I going to know? Once the arc is over, what do the readers want?


	10. Chapter 8 - Return

***Bad case of writer's block has plagued me as of late. I've been noticing that these chapters have been taking longer and longer to write as time goes on. Flat-out re-writing entire segments has started to become normal instead of a rarity. Things have been happening outside of my control that have gotten in the way. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy the chapter.  
**

* * *

CHAPTER 8 - Return

 _The sun is positioned to be after noon._ _  
 _The second sunset that Frisk and her companions have seen would be the first f_ _or many.__

 _ _A rider in a red cloak concealing every detail about him rode out from the fourth gatehouse past the monsters' camp. The monsters attention was caught by the rider's horse - a black shire that at first glance towered over those around it, and the rider was no less a sight to behold. The gallop was great, and the speed surprisingly contained care in it's haste.  
__

Papyrus and Undyne were amid a conversation about what to cook for supper and were asking the local humans for advice and general pointers. As they conversed, the rider and his towering steed passed by; catching the group's attention. They took a pause and watched the rider and his horse until they passed through the final and out-most gatehouse.

One of the conversing humans; a blacksmith paused his repair of an old sword. "Was that Lord Gale, riding past us just now?"

Undyne raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

One of the accompanying human soldiers stirred in his seat. "Lord Gale, the man who fights like a raging storm."

Another human spoke-up "I heard when Gale was a kid, he killed sixty bandits by himself _with a stick!_ A STICK!"

A third human; sitting in the corner, clothes black as night, carrying a two-handed sword, his armor being of splint and half-plate added to the mongering.

"I've seen the man fight. Those rumors be true, aye. But you know what I think?"

Everyone turned to silence in anticipation to the man in black's next words.

"He fights like he knows who is going to do what, and when. Sometimes I hear him count under his breath. _Fifteen, twenty-four, nine,_ but with no context to what he's counting to. Could our Lord commander be something older and more ancient than this castle that holds us? Make no mistake my friends. Within Gale is, indeed a mystery in a mystery."

The blacksmith resumed his work on the sword, shaking his head. "Don't mind them, Lord Undyne-"

"Captain Undyne" the fish-lady interrupted.

"... Yes, captain. Anyways; Rumor and legend surrounds that man and our king to a lesser extent like a thick mist. All o' what they say 'bout them should be taken with grains of salt of various shapes and sizes."

Papyrus's eye-brows saddened. "I WOULD, BUT I FORGOT IT AT HOME WITH THE PEPPER."

 ** _. . .  
_**

 _One hour later, over on the far side of the district at the third gatehouse - the divider between the seccond and third layers of defense was a man with blonde hair, a fully-grown unmaintained beard. His face concealed with a faded, tattered green cloak, and a quarterstaff in hand. He was heading in the direction of the monsters' camp in the fourth ring. No one recognized him. The cloaked man ducked to the walkways near the buildings to bypass a patrol of his own troops.  
_

One by one, the guards, soldiers, and serfs had passed by their king, not recognizing him. Of all those traveling to and from their posts, only one guard stuck out like a sore thumb. He was short, young and had seen less than fourteen winters in his life; his green gambeson bore two full stripes of gold in a diagonal pattern. His presence was controversial concerning his age, yet Jyack - the young retainer that he was, approached and walked past his King - the one he called father, unable to detect even his presence until ten paces after passing him. When Jyack looked back after feeling Adrian's presence, the tall man in the sickly, faded, barely green cloak was gone, as if he manifested and vanished in an instant.

The man with the green cloak lowered his head. Adrian was physically drained from his mad run from the castle to where he currently stood. He didn't have it in him to call out to Jyack at the moment. Whether exhaustion or cowardice, Adrian couldn't confront the boy he once called son.

Adrian paused for a moment as he observed Jyack look around as if he's seen a ghost, then abandon his search and resume returning to his post. Adrian's thoughts returned to him, and the concealed King pressed onward.

 _"You're hurting!"_

Adrian's recollection of Frisk's words from their meeting raised his head. As a star dispersing a suffocating darkness, something in his _***SOUL**_ was reawakening. Through the pain from loss and from beyond, he believed he will persevere. His thoughts were interrupted as he ducked into an alleyway and saw his path blocked by a short, stocky skeleton with a strange grin on his face. The cloaked king paused, then called out.

"Hey" Adrian greeted, straightening himself.

"heya" the skeleton replied.

King Adrian continued the conversation.

"Are you one of King Asgore's folk?"

"that i am."

"Could you please take me to him?"

"sure. just follow me."

"I apprecia- wait, what?" King Adrian followed, then paused as the short skeleton walked past Adrian in the opposite direction of the monster's camp.

"shortcuts, my friend. your fortress has tons of 'em." The skeleton spoke. Adrian froze, his expression was of bewilderment.

"But... How though?"

"between you and me, let's just say i have a knack for getting to and from places quickly without getting spotted."

"That sounds... Useful. Who are you?"

"name's sans. sans the skeleton. yours?"

"Adrian."

"king adrian?"

"How did you know?"

"i didn't."

"I don't believe you."

"alright, fine. Frisk told me."

"The Ambassador?"

"yea. i'm a friend of hers."

Both of them paused their conversation for a moment. Before they departed through 'the shortcut', Adrian spoke.

"Friend..."

Sans paused, then looked at the old king. He stared deep until he could see his soul.

 _Yeesh. They were not joking about this man's state. I feel like I'm about to loose my one HP from just looking at his ***SOUL.**_ _That poor thing looks like a purple stain glass window that got vandalized with black paint, then glued-back together with cement mix. His **LV** , **XP** , and other stats? I think it'd be best I leave those sleeping dogs lie.  
_

"This way" Sans ushered the king. Adrian followed.

 ** _. . ._**

 _At the outermost gatehouse of Green Gold's fortress, three characters stand ready to depart back to Mount Ebbot.  
Despite the great goal being accomplished, life and time still continued._

In his hand, Asgore held a piece of paper with a list of tasks - each written down with care.

"Is this everything?" He asked Toriel and Frisk, who were beside him.

Toriel gave a confident nod. Frisk followed suit.

"Everything is in order. Alphys has taken the flower with the mold on it to study in her lab, Undyne and Papyrus are staying behind to cook a giant dinner for everyone. All we need is Sans to come back from his errand with Muffet and we'll be to and back from Mt Ebbot before anyone even knows we've gone."

Toriel spoke. Her words resounding of a confidence in those she spoke of, followed by a short pause...

"Speaking if which, where is he?" Asgore replied.

"right here, big guy." a familiar voice called out from behind the group. Toriel turned to the source of the voice.

"Hey Sans how ar- who's that you've brought with you?"

The man in the green cloak approached. Asgore, Frisk, and Toriel stared blankly at the man that was breathing heavily from what could be assumed as an absolute marathon of a sprint. With heavy huffs, puffs, and what Undyne would've criticized as a bad breathing technique if she had remained present. The cloaked man eventually caught his breath. Frisk recognized the man immediately despite his identity concealment, and called out to him.

"Adrian!"

Frisk stepped forward to approach, but was immediately grabbed by Toriel who held her tight.

"My child, wait!"

Until King Adrian caught his breath and was able to speak, a silence ensured. Asgore eventually spoke up.

"Er, King Adrian! My apologies. We needed to head back to Mt. Ebbot to grab some supplies. What are you doing here?"

The human king could only mutter as his eyes darted between Asgore and Toriel. The expression on Adrian's face dove from some semblance of positive to straight-up blank. His eyes fixed on Toriel, then moved to Asgore, then Frisk. Adrian's blank stare then receded into his hood. No one could see his face, but they could see his grip tighten around his staff.

Toriel shot a glance at Asgore, remaining silent. Asgore replied in her place.

"King Adrian, this is my wife Toriel."

Toriel, still holding Frisk by her side followed-up. "Nice to meet you, King Adrian."

Adrian only nodded in reply and simple acknowledgement. Toriel continued.

"I see that you've left quite the impression on Asgore and my child..."

Adrian remained silent, but after closing his eyes for a second or two, he speaks.

"Frisk, it's good to see you... Again."

Frisk nods in response. Her hand still on the locket, and Toriel's arms around her waist. Frisk catches the expression on Adrian's face. For only a moment, there's a barely visible smile that resembles a certain kindness, but it fades the moment it's spotted.

The three inspect Adrian. In full light of the sun and out of the dark, cold interior of his throne room, Adrian was visible in detail that was otherwise impossible in that cold room. His green cloak that concealed him for all that time was the color of a destroyed green that was mistakable for a flavored grey and was in need of repair. His eyes, though shrouded and covered by his tattered mint grey cloak still reflected a barely visible, grey-blue and his skin was pale from his time in the dark.

King Adrian spoke.

"King Asgore, I needed to ask you. It's important."

"What's wrong? "Asgore replied.

Adrian paused, took a long breath, and lowered his head. His thoughts amuck.

 _When I first saw you... Back at the Keep... We've never met before then, but yet... I felt like I was meeting an old friend... A best friend... for the first time..._ _  
_

King Adrian paused. His mouth was slightly open, the group was giving him their full attention - albeit, somewhat divided. Moments passed, Adrian's mouth poised to move.

"I... I wanted to ask..."

Adrian felt a pat on his back. Sans stepped forward and nodded at the human king, then turned to face Asgore.

"he wants to come with us to see Mt Ebbot. personally, i'd like to see him try some melted snow."

Asgore raised an eyebrow. "Any objections to having him as company?"

No one spoke a word. Asgore nodded.

"Alright. King Adrian, it's good to have your company today and an honor to show you our home."

Adrian nodded. "Thank you, King Asgore."

Frisk felt Toriel's grip tighten around her. Frisk looked up to see her face. Throughout all Frisk's resets and travels, she had never seen that expression before. Toriel's expression was cut from the same cloth as concern, but on a different level; a deeper level.

"Toriel, are you okay?" Frisk asked.

Toriel picked-up Frisk and held her close, then she whispered into Frisk's ear.

" _Please, trust me on this. Stay close to me._ "

Frisk nodded. Unsure, yet trusting.

"Yes, Mom."

* * *

 ***Okay, so yeah. This had alot more info crammed into it than I thought. This actually just might be the last chapter of book one or the second-to-last chapter, to which I'll just write short stories for this setting, or perhaps leave it alone until I can plan ahead for chapters instead of writing them on the spot.**

 **Just turned 21 today, so that's nice. Thank you all for your time thus far and I hope to get another chapter (or perhaps a short story) done soon.**

Also, I have no idea what Adrian and Gale's Levels of violence would be, so if you've read this far, shout some number out that you think sounds reasonable and I guess I'll meditate on it.

Again, thank you all for your time and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	11. Chapter 9 - Color

**This started as a short story, believe it or not.** **I've thought of converting it into chapter one of book II instead of keeping it as it is. I haven't received much in the way of support, but for what I do have, thank you. For a story of this setting (all things considered), I figured it'd be appropriate... Somewhat.**

 **Warning to those with the bigger hearts; Brace your feels, because this one might sting a little.**

* * *

Chapter 9 - Color

 _Twenty-two years, two months, one week and three days before the barrier is broken..._

 _A village west of the obsidian walls of Green-gold Castle had a decent harvest of less than half the crops failing.  
_

 _The land is far removed from color, being white, black, and thousands of of grey shades between. It has been this way for over one thousand years._

 _To the common human, hope has died.  
_

 _But maybe... Just maybe..._

A child, roughly thirteen winters old opened the door to his family's serf hovel holding a clump of dirt with a single blade of grass rooted into the cobble. His face was wide with disbelief, shock, and urgency for the item in his hand.

"Mom! Mom!"

"Yea son, what is i-" The woman gasped upon gazing at the otherwise unremarkable singular blade of grass. She reached for a shallow clay cup sized smaller than her palm, and ushered her son in.

"In the pot! Put it in the pot!" The child immediately complied. The woman reached for a pitcher of water and started packing the dirt around the grass blade as she slowly soaked the soil within the shallow cup. They placed the small pot on the table and observed.

The blade of grass was a barely noticeable green tint within the legions of colorless grass and dry patches, but as time passed, the mother and her son nervously gazed at the single blade until it's texture started returning.

Within a day, within that small, shallow, palm-sized pot; a single, healthy, green blade of grass flourished. It stood out like a diamond in dirt. The mother and her son gazed in total awe at the single blade of grass.

"I never thought I'd see this in my life. It's... Color..." The mother observed the single potted blade of grass carefully. She turned to her son, then gave him a hug followed by a kiss on the cheek.

"I... I never thought I'd see this in my life... Thank you."

The son returned the embrace.

"Mom, you're... You're going to make me cry again."

"This beautiful little thing... It'll be our secret, okay?"

They both looked at the single blade of grass, tears in the mother's eyes.

"Mom, I... I don't want this moment to end."

"Neither do I, Gael. I love you, my son."

* * *

 _Twenty-two years, two months, and one week before the barrier is broken..._

 _The village is burning... The wind is howling... The village Chieftain is dead, the defenders are dead, the townsfolk one by one are fighting a loosing battle for their lives against a foe who cast their humanity into the dirt and trampled on it._

"MOM! STAY WITH ME!" Gael, covered in soot and ash from fleeing the fate of being burned alive in his mother's serf hovel. He had horrible burns over his body. His arms and both palms of his hands were in searing pain from the fire and dragging his mother away from the collapsed structure engulfed in flames.

"MOM! STAY! WITH ME!" Gael cried out again from the top of his lungs. His voice rivaled by the dying cries of mercy falling on deaf ears.

"Mom, no! No! I have items. Here! Water! I have water! Drink the water..." Gael took a small sealed drinking horn from his inventory, trying to use it on his mom to keep her alive.

 *** One water removed. Drinking horn is now empty.**

Eventually the cries died out. The only noise being the roars of the fires, and the roaring laughter of... **things** that couldn't be human... Not after this.

 **HP = 0  
**

Gael watched in horror as he saw his mother's soul, a heart-shaped entity rise from her body and shatter - or, rather; Disintegrate into countless pieces before his eyes.

"Mom..." Gael wept.

The green blade of grass; lost in the fire. His home; ashes from the same. Every memory he looked to did not comfort him. It burned. It hurt worse than the searing burns across his body. For a moment, he felt nothing but total defeat and pain. Then he heard something. He heard **it**. Footsteps behind him, accompanied by laughter of mockery.

"Oh, boo! What a twerp!"  
"A defenseless thing that serves no purpose."  
"No purpose than to make us stronger."  
"Look at it weep. It's laughable!"  
"Will he beg for his life like the other pathetic trash?"  
"I want him to fight just to crush him like paper."  
"A useless, defenseless kid."  
"Free e **x** ecution **p** oints."

Gael stood up, and turned towards the corpse of one of the fallen townsfolk. He walked over and saw a staff modified into a club that the defender was using to defend everything that was now engulfed in fire. He knelt down and picked up the staff.

 ***Equipped item: long club.**

 **Description: It's bark looks bad, but this one's bite is indeed worse.  
** **Buff: Guaranteed to stun enemies upon a critical hit.  
De-buff: Critical hits are harder to pull off.  
**

With the staff, Gael took a deep breath.

"Father... Please, remember your son."

A yellow light in front of Gael appeared before him. It was like a small star upon a stone. Gael reached to it and caressed the light...

"Mom... Dad..?"

The footsteps got closer. The laughter of those "men" grew louder, and one voice made itself known above all.

"A pathetic kid weeping over a pathetic woman who didn't even survive the smoke. You, Sharpy. Kill this brat and _bring me that woman's head._ "

* * *

 ** _The burning of the village... The slaughter of everyone you knew... The death of everyone..._**

 ** _And they simply laugh like it's nothing..._**

 ** _Don't rest. Don't ever rest until justice is done!_**

 ** _You will not die. You're too determined for that._**

 ** _*FILE CREATED: GAEL_**

 ** _*GAME SAVED_**

* * *

 _Ten. Ten times, I've 'died'. Ten times I've 'lost'... But all I need to do is win once, and your head is thick, red plaster!_

 ***Gael's LV has increased.**

Gael bellowed from the top of his lungs. "I'M READY TO DIE! WHAT ABOUT YOU?!" With another swing of the club, another bandit fell, then another. If they weren't done for on the first swing, Gael kept going until they were.

 ***Gael's LV has increased.**

"YOU ARE MONSTERS! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" The bandits were seized with shock and gazed in horror as they found themselves in the situation they inflicted on others. Some of the bandits started fleeing only for Gael to pursue.

Of the bandits that Gael pursued, those that couldn't successfully flee tried to fight Gael off, but the result was always the same.

"WHO'S NEXT?! IS IT YOU?! HOW ABOUT YOU?!"

 ***Gael's LV has increased.**

The bandits have routed. Their rag-tag warband reduced to a fourth of it's strength. The bandits fled for their lives, some looked back to be haunted by the sight of a black figure with a club and a pair of circular, glowing red eyes, and the expression of pure disgust and disdain upon it's face; a sight of nightmares the bandits created, and unlike all their malevolent dealings previous, had to live with.

"I'LL BUTCHER YOU LIKE THE PIGS YOU ARE!"

 ***Gael's LV has increased.**

The bandits fled to the northern forest near the great mountain walls. Gael didn't follow. As far as he was concerned, the fight was over. Gael's arms and body still burned from his injuries from the fires, but as Gael looked at himself to observe his wounds, he saw that his arms were coated in blood up to his elbows.

 **Gael**  
 **Current LV: 6**

 **XP to next LV = 5  
**

Gael put his hand to his mouth. A realization dawning on him. He asked himself a hundred questions, and from then on, a thousand more questions arose. He returned to the smouldering ruins that was his home; back to that star. He gazed into it once again. From the star, was an answer he did not expect.

 _ **You lifted the club because you loved me...  
Not because you hated them...**_

 _ **They gave you no choice...  
**_ _ **They hurt other people, and they would've continued to hurt people.  
**_ **I'm sorry...  
*GAME SAVED**

In that moment, the yellow star disintegrated into dust. Gael's victory left him hollow. There was nowhere to go. His home was in ashes, his loved one dead, friends dead, village chieftain was dead. No one to lead and no one to follow. Gael was alone with no one... Gael closed his eyes. Defeated, he simply closed his eyes and waited for anything to come and take his life...

 ***But somebody came...**

"Hello? I saw the smoke from the walls of Green Gold and-and my dad saw, so we got some friends and-and are you okay? I'm Prince Adrian. What's your name?"

Gael awoke to see a small kid, roughly eight winters old disinfecting and bandaging his burnt arm. Gael wept deeply.

* * *

 _"Bring my son home, Gael... Let us lay him... to rest... In our father's crypts... Please..."_

 _Three days and roughly twelve hours after the barrier has fallen..._

 _ _ _A rider in a red cloak concealing every detail about him rode out from the fourth gatehouse past the monsters' camp. The monsters attention was caught by the rider's horse - a black shire that at first glance towered over those around it, and the rider was no less a sight to behold. The gallop was great, and the speed surprisingly contained care in it's haste.___

His heart never moved from that village. In mind, Gael was always there; weeping in the suffocating ashes of his home. Despite all his memories with Adrian, his father; the king, Jyack, and for what little time Adrian's son Jamie and adopted daughter Lucy... Gael always felt the searing heat of the flames on his body, the blood of those wicked , ugly "people" coated and crusted around his arms. Their screams, the screaming was arguably the most karmic and haunting thing Gael dealt with. Gael hated them. He wanted to see them suffer, but at the same time, he was not going to become a monster in order to do so. He wasn't going to become that **_thing_** that they saw him as when this all began.

 _"Free e **x** ecution **p** oints"_

That line in particular haunted Gael. It sounded so... Insane. What special kind of reality would it ever have to be for such a statement to sound so... Normal? Then again, it was a bunch of horrible people, but what on earth could've been their perspective to do such things in the first place? The whole thing was senseless violence; Gratuitous, and with no alternate outcome available.

Gael shook his head and mind back into focus.

Upon passing the last gatehouse past the Monsters' camp, Gael immediately set-off to MT Ebbot. Gael checked his belongings attached to his saddle and bag, occasionally checking his bandages to see the healing progress of the burns along his arms and such.

 **Gael**

 **WEAPON: STAFF  
** **Meant for walking and blocking. Not fighting.  
(defense boost, poor ATTACK)**

 **ARMOR: DO, KOTE & SODE  
** **An inspired cavalry armor inspired by the Nippon Imperialists across the vast, north-eastern sea.  
Many doubt the nation's existence due to how isolated the place is.  
(speed boost, average defense)**

 **Current LV: 7**

 **XP to next LV = 2  
**

Gael's mind wandered to the tales of the ancient humans - the ones Gael considered responsible for this whole mess. The tale of the ***Hate** soul and it's insane ability to enslave people into it's malevolent will (at least according to the old children's tales). The thoughts of possibilities made him shudder.

From his training with Adrian's father; the King, he understood his situation more than he did as a child.

 _"Gael, remember what L.V. is?"_

 _"It's an acronym for L.O.V.E, your majesty?"_

 _"Yes. **L** evel **O** f **V** iolenc **e**. The higher your L.V. is, the easier it is to hurt others and the harder it is to hurt you. This is part of our curse, Gale. The curse of the ***Hate** soul. Bandits, marauders, pirates, and many other people already have high L.V.'s to begin with, but when the L.V. of one of us rises, it's easier to hurt those closest to us as it is those that made us who we are._

 _"We, humans do provide a number of X.P. on our own, but the number is usually small - unless under special circumstances. To raise L.V. from bandits, you have to kill ALOT of them, all while showing no mercy. The same can happen in reverse, but bandits are a LOT less likely to show us mercy than the other way around."_

 _"Execution Points... My mom... My home... All those people... That was all just... **numbers** to them?!"_

 _"That is the ***Hate** soul, Gale. A system. A sick, twisted, horrible system that rewards those that cast their humanity aside, and punishes us for fighting back. That is the legacy of the first war- the war between men and the caretakers of the land from two-thousand years ago - the curse of the gods upon the first humans. The veterans of that ancient war becoming the first agents of a malevolent agenda."_

 _"I'm not a first human! My mom didn't deserve that! This isn't right! None of this is right!"_

 _"It is the reality we must face, Gael. Many people have been down your path, but as one's L.V. changes, it also changes how one thinks. You MUST be vigilant against this!"_

 _And once one reaches L.V. 10... Oh gods..._

Gael immediately brought himself back to the present. His mind actively blocking the thought out.

After checking his inventory, Gael rode on towards the mountain of Ebbot; again, looking for any sign of where Jamie could've ran to hide from the Envoy's attackers.

The lack of a body from the first investigation was concerning. Gael wanted to believe that his king is wrong; that Jamie's out there, somewhere, alive... But the white, wool pocket-rabbit with burn-markings in it's side and outer leg, along the bunny's upper back and head stained with blood... That pocket-rabbit begged to differ.

 _That stuffed rabbit was part of Jamie's promise_...

Eventually, Gael arrived to the smouldering wreckage of the destroyed Envoy carriage. He dismounted and walked with his stick around the crime scene. As he was observing, he heard footsteps from the road he came down.

"E-excuse me, sir?" a soft-spoken, nervous voice came from behind Gael. He turned slowly and saw what appeared to be a dwarf-sized yellow lizard creature wearing glasses, a white lab coat, while holding a strange small rectangular box made of multiple materials, and a flower with black moldy spots along the stem and central petals.

Gael stared blankly and confused, then he replied.

"Uh...You're one of the Ebbot-folk?"

"I was- I mean, yes! I am. I was walking down th-this path and-"

"It's not exactly safe here you know."

"Well...What happened here exactly?"

"Do you have all day? Because it's one of **those** stories."

"I was trying to get to my la-I mean, place back in MT Ebbot... Is it- the road, I mean... Uh... Safe?"

"Kind of, but it's still a long trek. Need a ride to the mountain?"

"S-sure!"

"Alright. You may not be very tall, but I'll help you up. What's you're name by the way?"

"Alphys! Doctor Alphys, King Asgore's Roy-... I'm Doctor Alphys of Asgore's court."

As Gael assisted Alphys onto the great Shire, he carried the conversation.

"King Asgore, of the Ebbot-folk? I better be careful then! Hah!" Gael spoke in a joking matter.

"Well, uh... What's you're name?"

"Gael. Lord Gael."

"Gael, like, wind Gale?"

"Sure, whatever. Now hold on. Lil' Missy loves mountain trails, and your trail in particular is somewhat rocky."

* * *

 ** _Entrance to MT Ebbot_**

From the short time Alphys knew Gael, she was terrified. His L.V. had Alphys think Gael was going to kill her on the spot, but his soul color seemed vaguely familiar... It was more of the protective type than what she originally anticipated. After dismounting, Gael left his Shire horse just outside of the archway less than two paces.

Alphys couldn't believe she rode such a thing, let alone that it could move with such speed and velocity. Height-wise, her and Frisk wouldn't even be as tall as it's legs were long. The horse was insanely huge and reaffirmed her idea of Gael being this kind of strong, honorable warrior-type guy... But where was his sword? He had a staff, sure but didn't big tough guys usually have big tough weapons to go with their armor?

 _And why does it look like something I've seen before?! This is starting to bug me!_

Alphys and Gael walked through the opening archway past where the barrier was before it was shattered. Alphys tried to keep a conversation with what seemed to be a friendly giant. A friendly dressed-to-kill giant of a human.

"So, uh... Interesting armor you have there!"

Gael paused. Alphys stood beside him. The giant human looked lost in thought for several seconds before turning back to Alphys.

"Thanks..?"

"Eh... Ok." Alphys replied.

Gael knelt down to Alphys.

"So... What's that strange box?" Gael carried the conversation.

"Oh this? It's my calculator."

"Calculator?"

"Yea, it's a- WAIT WHAT?!" Alphys took a double take for the centuries. She wasn't shocked at the question. She was shocked at the genuine, nonchalant, non-sarcastic legitimate "what's a calculator?" tone that this human had asked, legitimately. Gael just knelt there awkwardly contemplating his next verbal move.

 _Crap! I gotta follow-up with something else, or she'll start thinking I'm one of those uncivilized barbarian types._

"Is it like an abacus? The thing with the wooden ball-disk things on wooden dowels?"

"Y...Yes, actually... Like an... abacus, but with... numbers" Alphys did a second double take.

 _Abacus?! That's a name I haven't heard in a LOOONG time. It had to be back in the construction of HOME, present day - the RUINS, roughly before I was even born when that was commonplace... I only saw one in a MUSEUM! The instrument is, literally that old... Wait, IS HE SERIOUS?! We got our technology FROM THE SURFACE, VIA LITERAL WATERFALL! THERE'S NO WAY! This is a joke! We had to get our tech from SOMEWHERE, and I-_

Alphys stopped herself, took a deep breath, and carried the conversation.

"Say, you don't happen to have a map of the world by any chance, do you?"

"Not on me, but back at the Castle Library in Green Gold we have one somewhere. It's probably out-dated."

"Uh... About that Armor!"

"Yea. It's from a place far to the North-East. Across the sea, some say."

"Interesting. What about that stick?"

"My walking staff?"

"No. The shorter one, by your knife under your cloak."

Alphys couldn't see Gael's face, for it was hidden under his hood, but she could tell she hit something.

 _I hope it wasn't a nerve. He could kill me in one strike, probably._

Gael remained silent. leaning his staff against the entrance wall, he slowly drew the long club from his belt.

It was shortened for ease of transportation. The rock that was tied to it had been replaced with crafted weights that fit perfectly around the impact zone near the head of the club. The wood had been coated in a preservative to keep it from rotting, but in the head of the stick, near the blunt weight was a black, moldy thing attached to the weapon.

Gael brandished and presented the long club to Alphys, who studied it as if she was pouring her heart into the simple study of a stick, but Alphys knew this was more than some stick.

"Gael, can I please see your face?"

Gael gazed nervously in silence. Alphys continued.

"I need to make sure you're not suffering from any illnesses from this mold-thing! Even us monsters get sick from mold where it doesn't belong once in a while."

 _No, we don't, I just need to see if it's affected him!_

"Oh... Kay." Gael nervously put his hands on the soft, smooth velvet of his hood, and slowly drew it back. Alphys started getting some things from her coat.

 _He's probably some self-conscious Prince Charming that doesn't think he- why is he wearing those bandag-... Oh...  
_

Alphys remembered seeing some of the humans for the first time - how empty their ***Souls** were, how full of despair and hopeless the surface had become, but nothing could subvert her expectations like this.

Gale's forehead, left cheek, and entire lower jaw had been scarred from third degree burns - from a house-fire, presumably. His beard was manged and growing in random spots from not having any healthy skin-tissue to grow correctly. It was here Alphys noticed the bandages all over Gael's arms, and then it dawned on her.

"Does... Does it still hurt?" Alphys choked back, trying to hide her compassion.

"Every day... Since..."

Alphys stared for a moment, then shook herself back into focus.

 _Come on Alphys! Keep it together. I just need to get to the lab, I'll analyze the flower and the bat with Sans, medical suppli- Analyzing tools. No problems here! I'll get Undyne, and we'll hang out and watch some-_

"Doctor..."

Alphys snapped out of her trance and gazed at Gael's crisped, disfigured, burnt face.

"Yes?"

"It's the word for healer, and wise one throughout the world... Am I wrong?"

Alphys saw the Gael's soul. the heart-shaped thing resembled a soul of justice, but despite being at full HP, it was cracked throughout, designed like someone aimed for the middle with a hammer. Some of the pieces to the soul were outright missing. Staring at it was emotionally draining task, and it took everything Alphys had to tear herself away.

 _I can't help you... I'm sorry, but I... I can at least try!_

"I got some disinfectants and medical supplies in my lab... You don't mind waiting here, do you?"

"I don't mind at all. Just let me put my bandages back on."

"Here- let me help you."

After readjusting the bandages, Alphys analyzed Gael to make sure he wasn't hurting from having his hood off and being exposed to more heat.

"It's cooler down the hall a little - by the throne room, if that helps!" Alphys suggested, giving a polite smile.

"I thank-"

As they approached, Alphys turned to Gael and saw him freeze. Outside the throne room was a small patch of grass. Alphys thought nothing of it, but noticed Gael's gaze locked onto it.

"Uh... Gael? Everything alright?"

No response. Gael took a step towards the patch of lush green, then another step, then he knelt down into the cavern floor and started caressing the grass with his hands.

"It's... So soft..."

"Gael? Are you... Are you okay?"

Alphys knelt beside Gael, and saw a mix of red tinted tears.

"I never... knew the name... of this..." Gael sounded as if he was choking. Alphys beside him.

"The grass? Green?"

"The name of... Of the color... of grass... It's green..."

The realization hit Alphys hard.

 _He never knew the color of grass... Only that he's seen it before... In that colorless land called 'the surface'..._

"Mom... I miss you... I love you so much... I- I'm- I couldn't save you..."

Gael buried his tear-soaked face in the grass. the green, the beautiful, lush green... Alphys heart sank, and tears started forming from her as well.

"I miss you mom so much... I can't... I'm sorry."

Alphys couldn't move from beside the weeping giant. She put her hand on his back.

"I'm so sorry Gael... I didn't... I didn't know."

Gael stirred, the weeping was louder, and louder still. Alphys was crying too. She turned herself, and gave Gael a hug.

"Thank... You... Doctor. Thank you!"

"After all this time... All the tragedy, all the pain you've endured Gael... You're still you."

Eventually, Alphys left to get the medical supplies from her lab, leaving the molded flower for later.

* * *

 **Happy Mother's day... And tell your mother that no matter what happens... You'll always love her.**


	12. The Box with a Button (ch10)

Either Chapter 11 or 12 will be the last chapter... Maybe. Not sure. Thank you for your patience. let me know your thoughts on the chapter, and uh... This chapter was quite the interesting one to write.

* * *

-The Box with a Button-

 _Less than twenty years before the barrier is broken...  
_ _Sparring practice has been cut short after an accident happened between the Prince and his sparring partner._

 _Two children sat on the ramparts of Green-Gold's fortress walls, gazing at Mt Ebbot as the sun set upon the western horizon.  
There is no color to be seen. No green of Grass. No blue of stone nor sky.  
_ _Not even the sun emitted anything other than light, and it sets behind Ebbot's gaze.  
The world is colorless and grey._

"Oh, quit your crying Addie. It was just a scratch. See? Mom was able to bandage it up in no time! Everything will be fine." A young, smiling, bandaged, crisp-faced Gael lightheartedly spoke to a young, shaken, crying Prince Adrian. Gael's forehead bandages were faintly stained red from the incident.

"Lighten up. You didn't even hit me that badly. I mean, yea, you scored a crit on me, but it could've been worse!" Gael added.

Adrian paused his worried behavior and turned to his adopted brother. Gael continued.

"You could've taken my head clean-off!"

Adrian turned-away - crying even harder than before.

"Oh for the love of-. Come on, Addie! It was just a joke! Lighten up, will you? I mean, what would Dad think if he saw you like this? Cheer up for the people around you, if not for me."

Finally, Adrian's whimpering softened, then dispersed. Gael pat his brother on the back.

"Now that's better. MUCH better!" Gael turned to observe the sun set below the horizon. "Beautiful, isn't it, Addie? Sometimes I think I go crazy, because occasionally I think I see something there that isn't like the rest of the world."

Silence...

"Addie?"

Gael turned back to face his brother. Adrian's gaze was locked-onto the Mountain.

"Have you ever wondered, Gael... We always start at LV-1. There's never really an LV-0... It'd probably would require a consistent, complete, and permanent removal of the intent to kill..."

Gael didn't say anything, continuing to listen.

"It's in us all. We're born with that freedom to do what's wrong. Our curse... of violence... a **L.O.V.E.** curse..."

Gael raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying Addie?"

"In- In a dying, dead world cursed with violence, grief, vengeance, and everything gone so horribly wrong... Is is so wrong to not want to attribute to all the pain and suffering in it?"

Gael paused, the words he sought eluding him. He nodded his head unable to reply. Adrian continued.

"I'm not ignorant to the world around me. I know perfectly well of how wrong everything is. It's... I'm just-... I'm..."

"Scared?" Gael chipped in.

Adrian took a deep breath, staring into the setting light of the sun where the light faded, and the night sky began; The skyline resembling a multi-shaded barrier between the light-colored greys and whites, contrasting the darker shades of night.

"... I'm Afraid..." Adrian admitted.

"I'm terrified...

"I don't want to hurt anybody... I don't want to hurt anyone... But the world... Doesn't want to give anyone a choice. It will not give me a choice, will it?"

Adrian heard stirring from Gael's spot.

"Just a fool's dream. I'm sorry Gael, I didn't mean to bother with such a petty ramble-." Adrian turned to find Gael had gotten down from his seat onto the Wall's walkway, and he was kneeling to Prince Adrian with his head facing the floorboards.

"Gael?" Adrian dismounted from his seat to stand in front of his adopted brother. "Is everything...?" Adrian paused. Gael spoke.

"I, Gael, the adopted brother of His majesty Adrian of Green-Gold, swear on my life and soul to be your sword. My life, forever yours."

Gael's tone was sincere with no sarcasm.

"Never may a single e **x** ecution **p** oint be yours, for I will fight in your place... I fight for the fool's dream; **your** dream...

"I swear on my life, that when the times come where others demand 'kill or be killed'... I will be what stands between you and them.

"And when the day comes, when my humanity abandons me, I ask that you vow to destroy me... to protect the lives I threaten.

"My Prince... My future King. My life, my *SOUL, eternally... is yours.

"I am your sword, that you will never have to fight. You will never have to kill, and as long as I live, you'll never be killed."

The young Prince Adrian stood before his brother, completely speechless. He thought his own words to be stupid, naive, and foolish, yet here, in Gael of all people, was one willing to believe in him to see what anyone else would consider a pipe-dream come true.

Adrian couldn't say anything. For the first time, ever, in his life, he felt something he never thought could be possible; Hope.

 ** _. . ._**

 _Sixteen years, four months, and twelve days before the barrier is broken..._

Adrian found himself in a black room, alone. No noise, no echo of footsteps. The black room seemed endless...  
"Hello?" He called out to the darkness.

No answer.

"Hello?" Adrian called out again. No answer. He was alone in silence. Adrian would've been used to this, before Gael came along and took the mantle of being his sworn guardian (and to a lesser extent, his brother), but now Adrian walked around. An uncanny feeling haunted Adrian; Dread.

Adrian looked around, eventually finding what looked like a white rope, tied into itself on the floor loosely resembling a circle.

Then the circle shifted; moving on it's own accord - evolving into an outline of some unidentifiable thing.

The something shifted into shapes, using the white rope as an outline. From the black formless mass, it shape-shifted into a figure towering over Prince Adrian.

From the top of the figure, a white blob formed itself into a mouth-less mask with two vertically cracked eyes; one going up, the other going down. Both cracks presumably meeting at the back of the face.

The figure started making a noise. It was not human. It resounded like a machine given a voice, but impossible to decipher. Then the mass gazed down at Prince Adrian. The mask on the blob formed an ominous, unpleasant smile. Then, it "spoke" in a sense - not with cohesive words, but with an indescribable, eerie noise as if one was to try to speak a language never meant for the human mouth.

As the figure 'spoke', several hands slowly formed from the goo-like darkness with no explanation, slowly reaching toward Adrian with menacing intent.

Adrian was seized with fear and ran. He heard it repeating the previous noise over and over. Adrian saw a door several feet in front of him. He ran to it, but the hallway seemed to move farther and farther away from him as the thing chasing him got closer, it's noise louder and louder. With a rush, Adrian got to the door; going through it's arch and closing it behind him.

The door had several security locks connected to it, all which Adrian rushed to engage. After finishing the final lock, he put his back to reinforce the door. After a solid minute, Adrian heard no noise. Taking a sigh of relief, he slid his back across the smooth wood surface, sitting down, closing his eyes. A feeling of security and safety washed over Adrian as he was able to relax from whatever it was he was running from... Then, Adrian observed his surroundings. He was in his father's throne room. Then, from the throne, a figure sat on it. The figure was human. It was wearing his father's garb, wore a red-stained sword across it's lap. The eyes... The body's eyes were shut tightly, and red tears reigned down from them.

"Are you ready, my son?"

Adrian heard the body speak to him. He held his breath.

"Are you ready..." it held out his hand to reveal a star-like shining object built-into a skipping stone in the palm of the body's hand.

Adrian saw movement to the side of the throne. He saw it; the shape shifting form with the damaged eyes.

"To play god?" The body finished it's sentence.

The figure lunged at him, and Adrian awoke, flailing his arms as if he was fighting off an invader. Gasping for breath, he tried to regain his bearings.

Adrian was lying down in his bed, in his bedroom. His bed sheets tossed around like poorly maintained horse blankets.

 _It was just a nightmare, right?_ Prince Adrian gasped to himself, trying to recuperate from his recent terror. Then, the door burst open with Gael; his special club in hand, surveying the room before quickly advancing in and closing the door behind him.

"ADDIE! YOU ALRIGHT?!"

"Gael?!"

"Get dressed! There's been an attack!"

"WHAT?! WHERE'S DAD?!"

"Get dressed, grab your sword and let's find him before the bad guys do!"

After Adrian equipped some basic clothing, The duo rushed through the elaborate halls of the Keep with little worry about any unknown traps or ambushes. The would-be assailants seem to have sprung those on themselves beforehand, or dispatched by awaiting guardsmen. The sight was unpleasant to say the least, but not unexpected.

"DAD! DAD! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Adrian called out for his father.

A loud crash was heard down the hall, caused by one of the assassins; a puncture wound in his side, stumbling over some fallen pottery that had shattered on the floor with another conspirator trying to assist. Gael gnashed his teeth at the intruders; his expression curdled and seemed more like an animal than man. Gael snarled.

"You get the Throne-room... Protect your father."

Adrian couldn't see Gael's face. Only what Gael would be up against.

"What about you?"

"Me? I'm taking out the trash this morning!" Gael charged forth at the retreating assailants.

Adrian readied his weapon and sprung though the maze-like halls to get to the throne room. When he approached, he heard something fall.

"DAD!" Adrian charged in - the oak doors wretched loudly as if in agony as Adrian readied himself against an attack from anywhere from the room, but it was dead silent.

There was no noise. There were red stains among the pillars leading up to the King's seat, and a strange pile of black ashes littering the tables.

From the throne, a figure sat on it. Adrian recognized the figure. It was wearing his father's garb, wore a red-stained sword across it's lap. The figure's eyes were shut tightly, and red tears reigned down from them.

Adrian, gasping for breath approached the figure upon the wooden throne.

"D-..." Adrian's voice quivered.

"Dad?"

Silence.

Adrian stood at the foot of his father's throne, taking his father's hand into his own. He felt a pulse. It's fading.

"Dad..."

The body turned.

"Are you ready, my son?" It spoke.

Adrian held his breath.

"For what?"

Adrian's eyes darted to a moving shadow from across the room. He saw a mask with vertical cracks in it's eyes; one downwards, one upwards. The mask is smiling. Adrian blinked, and it was gone.

"Are you ready..."

As Adrian turned back to his father, in his other hand, he held it out to reveal a star-like shining object built-into a skipping stone in the palm of the body's hand. Adrian recognized it from his nightmare.

"To be a god?"

Adrian stood, dumbfounded.

"What is it?"

"If you ever are to perish, this star will bring your *SOUL to the time...

"And place... you last used it..."

Adrian, unquestioning to his father, reached for the strange star-like thing built into the stone, gently taking it from his father's hand. In an instant, a single word contained in a black box with white outline appeared before Adrian.

 **PERSEVERE**

Adrian didn't know what to do. As if by instinct, he nodded his head. Then again in an instant, the box's outline became color and the words changed.

 ** _*FILE CREATED: ADRIAN  
_**

 ** _*GAME SAVED_**

"Dad... What do I do?" Adrian started breathing heavier, almost panicking.

"What do I do?!"

The King turned to his son the prince.

"Persevere, my... son..."

 ** _. . ._**

 _ _Sixteen years, four months, and one day_ , before the barrier is broken..._

 _Adrian found himself back in the black room, alone. No noise, no echo of footsteps. The black room again seemed endless..._

"Hello?" He called out again to the darkness. Adrian looked around once again, seeking the white outline from before.

Then Adrian heard it; the noise. He turned around and there was the unidentifiable mass with a face.

The black formless mass contorted and shape-shifted itself before Prince Adrian.

"I don't fear you." Adrian sternly anchored his feet where he stood.

"What do you want from me?" The prince asked the mask.

The blob shifted, shaped, and replicated itself into several hundreds of thousands of near-insect sized squares, then the primary mass with the face vanished.

The uncountable squares produced the form of another human being. It's form was a man; a Legionnaire. He's injured and weeping.

"It must end..." the man spoke.

From the uncountable squares, another being was produced; an impoverished woman in ragged clothes. She walked in the aftermath of a battlefield.

"Where are they? Where are my sons?" she cried, surveying face after face.

The squares continued to produce more and more people around Prince Adrian until there were enough to fill a town square; not a single one looking like the other.

All of them, one thing was glaringly common; they were all victims of violence.

"Peace?" Adrian guessed.

Everyone turned to look at the Prince. Silence. Some of the forms nodded their heads.

"How do I help you?"

Adrian turned around in circles trying to see all the people at once, but every time someone fell from view for even a moment, they were gone.

"How do I save you?"

Eventually, Adrian was alone in the room. Then he turned around and saw the shape-shifting mass with the cracked face holding a small metal box. Attached to the box is a button.

"what does it do?" Adrian asked.

The uncountable squares produced an image of people throwing down their weapons and turning away, then the image dissipated back into squares.

Adrian awoke from his sleep. He turned to his nightstand and pulled out the strange star in stone from his drawer.

 ** _*GAME SAVED_**

As Adrian proceeded to his father's funeral, he was interrupted by a courier carrying out his rounds. He was holding a package wrapped in grey paper.

"Something in the mail for you, my lordship."

"Just call me Adrian."

"Sorry sir, just habit."

"It's fine."

 ** _. . ._**

After the depressing day was over, Adrian unwrapped the package. Within was the metal box with a note attached;

 _"Only use when with no other choice."_

* * *

 _Twelve years, three days before the barrier is broken..._

"Brothers and sisters not of Green Gold's land. Inheritors to the fallen Republic and crumbling Empire... I call your attention to thee.

Your Tribal conglomerates, your kingdoms, empires, confederations and republics...  
I, King Adrian of Green-Gold have tried to reach out and end the violence between our nations.  
I have visited all your lands to help you. I thought I could help you prosper as sovereign nations.

For four long years, we of Green Gold have done everything in our power to remain neutral, and bring reconciliation.  
But you have made it clear that you are not interested.

First-hand, I bore witness to your practices, your methods. You have shown me first hand the cruelty you are capable of.  
Your heartlessness, bitterness, and wickedness...

Through all of you, I have witnessed the evil of man born within all.

You proceeded to demonize me and my people- plunging my fore-fathers nation into a gratuitous total war for no reason other than reaching out to you.  
I have given you all a choice, and in return you leave me with none.

You have made your choice to fight, and in return, I choose to use a tool that will strip that choice away from you.  
I am making the choice to end the two-thousand year war you are hellbent on continuing.

The tool will have you throw down your weapons and cease your violence.

With this power in my grasp, I, Adrian, not as a king, not as royalty, but as a **_human being_**...

I declare this senseless, two-thousand year conflict... Over!"

A young King Adrian of Green Gold gave his speech at the rally of the nations; a rally usually purposed for nations to spit at and mock each other. Now, all the nations unify to have Green Gold receive the blunt end of it.

No cheering. Only the Jeering of countless people; entire nations of people who have no intention of anything different. Whether the cause be pride, arrogance, or whatever, it didn't matter. No one wanted to see the conflict end.

For their own safety, Adrian and his companions fled back to his homeland.

 ** _. . ._**

 _ _Twelve years before the barrier is broken...__

 _ _The Great Northern Wall of Green Gold; the physical barrier of towers and walls built countless miles into mountains both vertically into the Mountain heights, and horizontally from Mountain's range west to Mountain's range east, south of all the nations.__

 _ _The only way through was a single gargantuan gatehouse made from black stone. It's history preceding written history itself; a time before war was even a word.  
There was no way it could've been made by human hands.  
__

 _ _Throughout time, the wall was fortified even further by the Green-Gold humans; two-thousand years to improve the already unimaginable defending advantage of the nation.  
The wall itself was the apple of Green-Gold. It was a luxurious defense any other land could only dream of acquiring.__

 _ _Here, Gael and Adrian stood miles above the land at the top of the wall, surveying the northern horizon.  
In Adrian's hands was the metal box with the button - the button that would, presumably, end the war.__

 _ _The air is thin. The wind is quietly wishing to pass through.__

"So..." Gael asked Adrian. "What exactly is the box?"

Adrian paused.

"I have no idea Gael. Apparently, we just... Press the button... And from the center of the world, hundreds of miles from here, hundreds of miles away... It'll make everyone drop their weapons and... Stop the war- stop ALL the wars..."

"Do you think that will actually happen?"

"If I am remembering it correctly Gael...

"Upon pressing the button of the device, there will be a pause. Then, after a moment of silence, the thousand-year war between all of humanity will finally end."

"Anything else that the box said, or had notes attached to?"

"Well, I'm... confused... under the assumption that this actually does work. And..."

"Addie?"

"... There's no way it can be this simple Gael. We just press this button, and... magically, no one wants to fight? It... It sounds impossible... Like it's too good to be true... It's too... Simple."

"What if it is true, Adrian? What if we can, really stop all the wars, all the pain, the bloodshed... with just the press of a button? We'd be saving the world, right?"

Adrian took a deep breath, taking the box into his hand and facing southward skyline.

"Adrian, Whatever Happens after we press that button... I'll be right next to you... And so will Abella... And your unborn kid. Right?"

Adrian nodded his head, smiling.

"Let's save the world, Gael. They made their choice to fight and hurt others, so we'll take away their ability to choose to hurt others."

Gael turned to his brother patting his brother on the back; nodding his hooded, bandaged head.

"L. V. Zero, just like you said all that time ago? Remove their intent to kill?"

"L.V. Zero. From now on... No more intent to kill. No more pain. No more death. No more suffering."

"Then let's end this stupid pointless war. Two-thousand years is more than enough! They had their chance to end all this voluntarily from their own accord."

Adrian nodded his head and pressed the button.

"For the Fool's Dream." Adrian blurted.

"For the Fool's Dream." Gael recited.

At first nothing.

Silence.

"The warranty didn't happen to expire, did it?" Gael joked.

"I DID press the button firmly down, as it said to do..." Adrian hesitated.

"Ehh... Maybe-"

A flash of light from the north accompanied by a delayed noise louder than point-blank thunder. The world itself shook as if it was a rattling cage...

Adrian and Gael lost balance and fell down to the wall's floor.

A deafening sound like thunder echoed through-out the world. Wind shredded throughout the world, ripping through clothing and carrying away small objects as if they were sheets of paper.

Dead Silence...

Adrian struggled to his feet to peer over the wall.

The Northern sky was black as charcoal with it's clouds swirling into a spiral hundreds of miles north. The northern ground - from as far as the eye could see, to the base of Green Gold's Northern Wall, south of all the northern land...

Every nation north of Green Gold, every city, every home, every family... Nothing but dust and ashes were visible.

Adrian couldn't believe what he saw.

"What... What happened? Where did everything go?"

"Why did this happen?"

Adrian turned to the button he himself pressed.

"No... This... This isn't what it was suppose to be...

"What..."

Adrian turned away, vomited onto the floor, then turned back to the ghastly horizon.

"All those people..."

Then, in the shadow of the aftermath, Adrian heard it;

Countless screams. They rang like an uncanny chorus of cries. It went on, continuing for a minute, and then cut-off. Silence.

"This is not what I wanted...

"I didn't want this... They didn't deserve this. What... My gods... What have I done? What have I done?!"

Adrian fell to his knees and wept at the horrible choice he unwittingly made.

* * *

 _\- Once upon a time, a long time ago -  
_

 _In a strange cave in a strange place, where a river from the North flowed south into the mountains..._

 _There was a smiling doctor._

 _He was no healer, he winged._

 _His wisdom was wicked, it dinged._

 _He didn't heal, for h_ _ _e was a trickster.__

 _He helped others hurt, by designing ghastly toys._

 _He enjoyed watching people hurt others with his ghastly toys._

 _One day, the doctor made the strangest, ghastliest of toys to out-do all the others._

 _That day, someone had enough._

 _Someone called him wicked, and bashed the smiling doctor's face with a rock._

 _After hitting his face with the rock, someone cast him into the river far below his cave._

 _From his cave, he fell down and down into his river.  
From his river, he fell down and down into a sacred mountain..._

 _From there, the world was able to continue playing their games with the smiling doctor's toys._

 _But two thousand years later, a king wanted to end all the world's ghastly games._

 _From dreams, the doctor gifted the king a key;_

 _A key to giving life to the doctor's final toy;_

 _The toy to win and end every game._

 _He tricked the king to play his game._

 _He tricked the king to shoulder a terrible, unbearable shame._

 _In the end, the false doctor had the last laugh._

 _In the end, of monsters and man, who is really a monster? What is a man? are we to choose peace? Is it even a choice?  
_

 _Or will someone reset, and force every soul to relive the horrible, terrible game of hell once again?_

 _He wings._

 _He dings._

 _Beware the false doctor;_

 _The doctor who speaks with his hands..._


	13. Chapter 11

So... This entire story went in a different direction than I thought, but, well... The more you flush-out your characters, the less control you have over them and honestly, I'm kind of OK with that... Not entirely, but... I want to finish this story up soon, and a downer/cliffhanger ending is not what I'll settle for.  
I'm giving everyone their happy ending eventually... Even if the journey hurts to continue. But I'll continue nonetheless.  
Enjoy!

* * *

\- Chapter 11 -

 _ _Eleven years, eleven months, and thirty days before the barrier is broken...__

 _ _On the day after the world was silenced.__

 _ _The sun is setting...__

Adrian rode miles through the northern wasteland alone, calling out for anyone who could still be around.

"HELLO?! ANYONE?!" He cried out to the colorless, lifeless wasteland that was the northern world.

He squinted his eyes to make-out a distant structure - barely making out it's outline.

 _ **. . .**_

Adrian approached the structure before him; a wall.

The wall was stained with dark grey shadows. As Adrian studied them, he noticed their appearance. Adrian adjusted his position to get a better view or understanding of why the shadows were shaped the way they were. He raised his arm to block-out the sun-light from his eyes, and if by accident, his shadow aligned perfectly to one of the shapes along the wall. He continued walking down the wall to observe the other shadows, all of them prostrating themselves, escaping something. Near the end of the wall, Adrian saw a shadow holding two smaller shadows; one held to it's chest and the other by it's hand, fleeing. All of them humanoid in shape.

Adrian walked backwards from the shadows of the wall, bumping into a pillar of stone. He turned around to observe the pillar; holding no roof and supported by nothing but the ground it was planted in.

Adrian observed his surroundings; The ground before him littered with stones and gravel placed into circular patterns. Remnants of destroyed framework stood fragile in square floor patterns in square architecture. Wherever there was anything left resembling standing construction was covered in shadows similar from those from the wall.

Adrian took a moment walking through the area, realizing where he was; the middle of what was once a city.

He heard it again; the uncanny chorus of screams, cries and shrieks of terror from the day before.

Adrian turned to look, but nobody was there. Then Adrian heard crying.

"Hello?" He called out. "Is anyone there?"

But nobody came. After the crying, Adrian heard whispers.

 _"I'm scared..."_  
 _"Where's my family?"  
"What happened?"  
"Where am I?"  
"Is it over?"  
"Ma, where are you?"_

Adrian turned again to look, hearing whispers upon whispers in the aftermath of the destroyed city. He turned around in circles over and over to try to identify the source of the noise.  
"Hello?" Adrian called out.

 _"It's him!"_  
 _"He said he wanted to end the war"  
"Is he the one?"  
_ _"He did this."  
"He did this to us..."  
_

Adrian's heart raced. From the shadows adorning the multiple walls, he saw figures not emerge, but rather, resemble what was only fractions of seconds before those shadows came-to-be; disintegration dust of Souls momentarily trapped within their own shadows within moments of time;

Souls of soldiers, souls of warriors, souls of noblemen and peasants, souls of poor, rich, slave, free, mothers, daughters, fathers and sons. Every soul of the city, trapped in the eternal shadow of a single moment.

"This... This was not what I wanted..." Adrian whispered.

"This wasn't what I wanted!" Adrian repeated himself, almost yelling in reply to the shadows whispering.

 _"He wanted to end all wars-"  
"To end our conflicts-"  
"For us to throw down our weapons-"  
"We threw down our weapons..."  
"The world ceased it's sins..."  
"Because the world ceased to be..."_

"I... I just wanted all the fighting to stop... I didn't..." Adrian's heart started to weigh heavy... Then in the shadow of a distant tower's framework, he saw a smiling mask of two cracked eyes attached to a shape-shifting mass.

 _"You pressed the button..."_ A stray whisper made clear. _  
_

Adrian eyed the shadowed mask in the distance.

"You... tricked me..." Adrian bottled his emotions, walking toward the mask attached to a black blob, only for Adrian to be stopped by a garrison of translucent soldiers blocking his path; the expressions on them and souls were haughty and prideful.

Adrian halted, confused by the image.

The soldiers expression of pride melted away, replaced with terror. They threw down their weapons and ran past Adrian. As Adrian turned to look, he saw the cause of the shadows; these people's _***SOULS.**_

They were running, panicked, screaming. A mother, holding one child, dragging the other behind her only for their shadows to capture their last moments...

Adrian, after observing the sight turned back to the smiling mask.

"Give them back..." Tears formed from his eyes.

"Give them back their lives..." Adrian cried to the mask; it's mass black as night.

" _ ***RESET**_ IT!" Adrian's voice commanded.

"UNDO IT!" Adrian shouted, trying to approach the figure.

"GIVE THEM BACK-" Adrian slipped on his feet, face-planting into the brick and gravel that was once a road.

Laying prone in the center of the ruined city square, He raised his head with his nose bleeding; seeking the figure with the mask with the cracked eyes, but it was already gone.

"I'm... I'm so sorry..." Adrian wept.

"I didn't...

"I... I did this...

"I didn't know it would be this..."

Adrian's own soul felt heavy, then it began to feel brittle as if being hollowed by a cavity.

"I'm... so... sorry..." Adrian's soul wrenched, cracked and darkened underneath the burden placed on his heart. He bawled-into a fetal position in the middle of the remains of the city square lying still, weeping within that city; One city among countless others among the world north of home that all share the same bitter, horrible fate.

 _The north winds howled and cried, the northern earth and plants changed from colorless to shades of black from sins before and sins present; becoming cold, bitter, unforgiving and unpleasant from all that happened- much like the *SOULS of the people that once lived in it... But above all..._

 ***Nobody Came  
** **. . .**

 _ _Eleven years and ten months before the barrier is broken...__

 _South Shore, along Green Gold's South-Western mountain range near a fishing village, one hundred and fifty meters away from shore._

King Adrian, his wife (and unborn child), and Lord Gael stood on a small fishing barge. Adrian held the metal box tightly in his grip, standing beside the Starboard rail of the ship. He and Gael exchanged glances. Adrian took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

 _The power to end all wars... How did it feel?  
_

It was as if the box itself was whispering in his head the same way the shadows did. Adrian's demeanor firmed; his back straightened, struggling to pull and hold himself together.

"I was an idiot." Adrian blurted.

"Pardon?" Gael asked, raising his head.

"If the world was that easy to change, if peace was that easy to achieve - just the press of a button... The flick of a switch... A single, simple act that required so little thought... And just like that, the world would never fight again... I would've never needed this box... Would I?"

Adrian turned to look at his family, continuing.

"If it was truly that easy... The world, for the last two-thousand years... Anybody could've already pressed the button and halted the path the world chose on it's own accord - of it's own freedom..."

Adrian's grip on the box tightened, his eyes sunk, almost hidden into his blonde hair.

"I thought this box would strip those people from their choice to attack, hence ending the wars, saving countless lives and saving the world... But in the end..."

Adrian inhaled, releasing the air within him with a sigh.

"It was a monkey's paw; a lie... A false dream that I took the lives from so many to see come true, only to see the truth too late... But even if it did... If the dream came true..."

Adrian turned back to the box, gripping it tightly with both hands. His teeth gnashed, his eyes shut.

"It would only have put the world at the mercy... of anyone who hadn't been striped of that choice- stripped of their..."

Silence, only the noise of the rocking boat was heard. Adrian continued.

"... Do you realize what I'm saying?"

Gael stood silently in his place.

"My dream... Would've left countless people at the mercy of anyone with any intent to harm or kill...

"My own dream... would've left the entire world enslaved by the worst beings imaginable... And in a world where one could view others so little... Little more than numbers..."

Gael cringed hearing that last bit.

 _Free e **x** ecution **p** oints_

Those words - those horrific words from so long ago echoed throughout Gael's mind; understanding all-too perfectly that alternate world Adrian could only describe in mere words.

Adrian opened his eyes softly, his gaze drawn into the horizon, deep in thought.

"That's not anyone's dream... It's a nightmare... A nightmare I dreamed of dooming the world to suffer... Can I even call myself human?"

The king took a couple steps back, holding the box at his side.

"No one should have that kind of power..."

Adrian raised the box, twisting his waist, readying his arms.

"May no one, EVER, have to live with this sin scarred into my conscience!"

Adrian yelled as he hurled the box as far as he could, tens of meters away until the metal box finally fell into the sea. The company watched it's splash, witnessing the box sink without as much as blinking until it's last ripple. Gael nodded his head, understanding.

Adrian took-off his crown from his head; a golden circlet forged to resemble the crown his father was buried with. Adrian held it to his chest, whispering.

"Father... You always taught me never to be cruel... Never be cowardly... By pressing that button - regardless of what I thought would be... I failed in both. I failed as myself, I failed as a king, but unforgivably... I failed as your son..."

Adrian wiped away the liquid gathering from his eyes with an empty hand, holding his crown at his side.

"May the true king of this land be someone that NEVER would push that button!"

Without a second thought and tears down his eyes, Adrian cast his crown far into the sea- farther than even the metal box.

"I am no king..." Adrian whispered to himself.

Footsteps came from behind Adrian, and from behind, he received a silent embrace.

"Catherine?" Adrian recognized the soft hands that wrapped themselves around him. Speaking softly, the Queen spoke.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl who worked at a stable. She would listen to the stories of knights, soldiers and nobles as she worked with the horses..."

Catherine's voice was like a quiet river flowing from a pond; soft, relaxing, but peaceful above all. Adrian listened further.

"Some days, only the horses of those people would return; the only indication of what happened to their riders be the weight she could see underneath their eyes.

"Every story they told ended in kill... or be killed. That was the outside, scary world that little girl knew of, and was not ignorant toward.

"But... One strange day..."

Catherine gently turn Adrian so she could see his face, putting her hand on his cheek.

"A little prince came to the stable, and told that little, scared, afraid girl that he was going to end all of it."

Catherine wiped away a tear running down Adrian's face.

"That prince gave the little girl a choice; stay in that stable in fear of a brutal world, or join him in their own story to change the world...

"So no more children would ever have to be as afraid as she was- or hurt and scarred as the prince's brother."

Adrian teared-up, confused.

"Catherine... I don't understand."

She smiled, continuing.

"The world I grew up knowing only gave people two choices; Kill, or be killed...

"But you, Addie... You **refused** to give into that. When the world demanded vengeance, you tried to bring Justice...

"Where they were bitter, you were kind."

Catherine continued.

"You repaid indifference with patience, and when cowardly weasels tested you, you responded with honest courage..."

Catherine herself had a tear drop, but she continued.

"You did all of this for four long years, putting up with that world, but do you want to know what the greatest thing you did was?"

Adrian still couldn't understand.

"What did I do, Catherine?"

Slowly, Catherine gently kissed Adrian on the forehead.

"For four long years, bearing witness to the worst things that can be, in the middle of a world **determined** to bring you to your knees... You defied it - You **persevered**...

"Don't you see, Adrian? Where any one else in the world would've fallen to despair, you conquered and rose above."

"... It doesn't change what I did... It was all still wrong."

"Addie... The world told you- no, it told _everyone_ it's kill or be killed, but you told the world to stop - you _gave_ the world a choice! You didn't make one."

Catherine continued.

"You pressed it because they made their choice... And yes, the consequences of it are horrible and the world is in ashes as a result... But from ashes and embers, Adrian... We can be something better from it... We can be better than this."

Adrian stood emotionally and physically vulnerable. Tears of comfort down everyone's face.

"How do I do better, Catherine?"

"How you've always been, Addie; persevere... Be our leader. Our king."

* * *

...

* * *

Never be cruel. Never be cowardly.

I'm re-writing some of the short stories (while leaving most of the chapters alone), so if you notice anything missing, then well, here you go.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for your time.


	14. Chapter 12 - Empathy

Chapter 12 - Empathy

 _The sun is positioned to be four hours after noon..._ _  
 _The second sunset that Frisk and her companions have seen will be the first f_ _or many.__

 _ _ _ _Undyne and Papyrus were returning from the blacksmith with a gigantic cauldron they intended to boil the noodles with for the celebration tonight.  
____

 ** _ _. . .__**

"Need help with the pot, Papyrus?"

"I'm fine Undyne, I got it!"

Papyrus's voice was ecstatic and excited to use their new oversized cast-iron kitchen pot. Despite it's huge size, Papyrus managed to jog back to the Monsters' ring with it held high over his head.

"Go ahead and get everything prepped, Chef Papyrus. I'll meet right-up with you!"

"On the double, Undyne!"

Without hesitation, Papyrus zoomed-off ahead; almost as if he was flying away. Undyne knew she wasn't going to catch-up, pausing.

She took a moment to catch her breath, taking-in her surroundings, looking around herself;

The Obsidian black of the place's walls and fortifications, the colorless grey grass underneath everyone's feet, the longing and absence of hope in the humans' souls...

Undyne had to tear herself away. The humans' souls passing by her were hollow, broken, or anything but destroyed and gone. These people needed help and she felt something familiar toward the situation but couldn't put her finger on it.

Undyne pulled out her phone and started typing a text message.

 _"Okay Lazybones. I give in."_

Undyne took a deep breath, She blinked as her phone displayed that Sans had returned her message.

 _"gotcha. will be back before dark."_

Undyne nodded her head and put her phone away before resuming her travel.

* * *

 _A human child waited at the outskirts of GreenGold Fortress._  
 _ _Despite the pessimistic atmosphere, rumors of famine, and barely surviving his twelfth winter, a sense of optimism seeped into the back of his head._ _  
__

 _He wore a ragged grey-and-grey striped shirt and a pair of trousers with a hole in one of the knees. Charcoal hair and green eyes...  
_ _This morning he saw a strange goat-woman try to tend a flower that was tainted with that strange, ugly mold on it. She didn't appreciate that thing's existence. No one did.  
_ _That mold kills anything it grows on.  
It's the reason why so many people whisper about another famine coming - a total and complete famine that will leave nothing behind, they say.._ _._

 _Between that mold and the Bandits,_ _was there still hope_ _?  
_

 _Kaido's family left him to go out and search for food in nearby towns. They said they'd be back in thirty days at noon... This is the thirty-first day, and noon was giving-way to dusk..._

 _"Don't cry until we're together again, ok?" He remembered his mom telling him before they left._

Kaido took a deep breath. He mistook the monster caravan coming from Mt Ebbot to be his folks but it didn't discourage him. They were kind, understanding, and even gave him something to eat.

Finally, waiting at the gate for what felt like forever, Kaido squinted and saw a figure in the horizon getting closer and closer.

 _"This is it"_ he thought to himself.

Kaido got up from his seat on the ground and started walking, then the walking turned into jogging. As the figure got closer and closer, he could make it out more clearly; A small group of people walking down the road, numbering between three and six, hauling a small wagon behind them.

 _"A caravan?"_

Kaido's jogging turned into running.

 _"It's mom and dad... It HAS to be... It HAS to be them! Who else would make a trek this far to this place?"_

Kaido started sprinting as fast as his legs could take him.

"MOM!"

He called out.

"DAD!"

He ran until he was finally approaching the humans on their way to the Castle. He could smell the wagon. Some wheat and barley ready to be made into bread, some fish from the north mountain lakes already cooked and ready, barrels of salt with dried goods freshly preserved within them. This was it! This was the food mom and dad left so many days ago to retrieve! They're here! They had to be...

"Mom? Dad?"

Kaido didn't recognize anyone.

"Hello? Anyone seen my Mom and Dad?" He asked those passing-by, some giving him funny looks.

"Sorry kid."  
"Good luck finding them, boy."

No one recognized him. Kaido was confused.

"What happened?!" Kaido meant to ask in his head, but accidentally blurted.

"Another place attacked by bandits. Why else?"

The group passed by him, and Kaido just stood there, watching them walk-off into the distance. They didn't even take the East turn into the Fortress's roadway, save one. The group continued on the road to the south coast.

"I... I don't understand."

Kaido heard footsteps behind him.

 _ **"Are you Kaido the kind?"** _The voice was like an endless abyss; deep, unwelcoming, yet fluid like calm water.

Kaido turned around and was greeted by an shadowed humanoid figure in a black cloak, dark as the void itself. His presence was imposing. A hand encased in an iron gauntlet held his pitch-black cloak around him. Despite looking human-enough, he towered in uncanny valley. The worst was his eyes; A pair of red irises almost glowing out of the stranger's hooded stature.

"Y-yes?" Kaido didn't know how else to respond. The figure remained silent, his eyes beaming through Kaido as if he was staring into his soul...

"Do you know my mom and dad?" Kaido was taken aback by the figure. He, or perhaps "it" was hard to look at without feeling uncomfortable.

"I did" the shadow replied. Kaido's fear temporarily subsided.

"Where are they? Are they on their way home? Are they safe? Are they ok?"

The figure stood in silence for a moment, Kaido could tell that the stranger shut his eyes because of how they stopped glowing for that moment.

"Where are they?" Kaido's voice waned, not in fear of the stranger but of what he was to say.

The stranger opened his eyes again. His eyes, though menacing, expressed an alien softness... Then he spoke two words;

"My condolences."

Kaido heard those words before. It was at a funeral about a day ago.

"No" he shook his head from side-to-side, taking a step backwards.

"No!" he said again.

"You lie!" Kaido's voice cracked in his throat, but the stranger's expression didn't change.

The stranger stood motionless. Kaido turned around and sprinted back to GreenGold castle.

He ran down the roadway, then straight through the first gate. He didn't see the yellow, armless monster kid before colliding into him at full-force, accidentally knocking him down.

"Hey!"

Kaido paused for a moment, then noticed the other monsters looking at him. He turned and ran again.

"HEY!"

Kaido heard again from behind him. He kept going straight through the next gate. He turned only for a moment to see if anyone followed him before colliding into what felt like a pillar of iron.

He fell backward from the impact. Taking a deep breath and sitting up, he finally paused long enough to feel the emotion he was trying to outrun. He sniffled a little, trying his hardest to bottle everything in.

 _Don't cry until we're together again..._

Kaido clenched to the hard, sharp rocks that made the road around him before letting go of them to wipe the sticky water out of his eyes. He wanted to keep running, but in his heart, he didn't want to be alone...

"Hey punk, you okay?"

 ***But somebody came...**

Kaido looked up to see a strange, blue fish-woman dressed in a metal getup that put even the greatest guards he's seen to shame.

She towered-over Kaido as the stranger did, but had a completely different atmosphere about her. The fish-lady blinked. Something about her presence felt uncannily familiar, like someone out of a dream.

"What's your name?" the fish-lady asked, holding out her giant hand encased in an iron gauntlet.

Kaido reached out and let the monster grab his hand, getting up from his spot in the dirt.

"Call me Undyne. What's you're name, punk?"

 _Undyne..._

Kaido paused. His face, formerly of hurt and sadness blanked into an almost vague stare.

"K-Kaido..." He replied.

Undyne's smile faded for a moment, but then returned.

Letting go of Kaido's hand after helping him up, Undyne nodded.

"Kaido, huh?" She looked away for a moment, before turning back to the kid. "Cool name."

Kaido still stood there with that vague stare before shaking himself back to attention.

"I'm sorry, have we met before?" He asked.

Undyne's smile and attitude churned into a nostalgic demeanor. She forgot to answer his question.

"I..." Kaido stuttered before correcting himself.

"Have you ever felt like you're remembering something from within a dream, or maybe a dream within a dream?"

Undyne took a moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before bringing herself to a pleasant grin once again.

"Heh. What are you talking about, punk?"

Kaido hesitated.

"Hey, I'm on my way to get a party ready for everyone. We kick-off at dusk and you and your folks are invited if you can make it."

Undyne forced a smile and took a step forward before pausing. Kaido stood there helpless, then he heard Undyne's voice again.

"Can I help you?"

Kaido turned and saw Undyne face-to-face with the shadowed stranger from earlier.

Kaido froze, his heart beat so loudly, he couldn't hear what they were talking about. There were some words exchanged but Kaido couldn't hear any of it. The stranger with the red eyes occasionally shifted his unnatural gaze from Undyne to him, then back to whatever it was the two were talking about.

He saw the stranger hand the fish-lady a suspicious parchment of paper and walk away- disappearing back into the shadowed darkness that he seemed to be made out of.

Undyne turned back to Kaido and waved him closer.

Kaido, still afraid slowly approached Undyne.

"Hey, punk..." the fishlady said. Kaido nodded his head in reply.

"Have a home around here?" Undyne asked.

"No." Kaido replied.

Undyne paused, remembering what questions to ask next.

"Got anyone here you trust to look after you? Anyone your folks trusted?"

Kaido shook his head no. Undyne exhaled.

"My condolences about your paren-"

"THEY'RE NOT DEAD!" Kaido blurted.

"They're not... They're not! I know it!" Kaido tried to hold back, but he couldn't hide it.

"Th-...'Ey're... Live... I... Knows... They'z..." Kaido's nose became stuffy and he couldn't see out of his eyes. He tried rubbing them with his hands, but it didn't work.

He tried to repeat himself again, but his heart hurt and his throat felt sore. He tried to speak, but all he could do was weep.

Realizing he couldn't speak, he tried to focus on keeping everything inside.

 _"Don't cry until we're together again, ok?"_

Kaido focused on his mother's parting words, but it made his chest hurt even more. He shut his eyes in a last attempt to keep everything in, but all he could see was mom and dad walking away... Kaido felt hollow, weeping both inside and out. All he could think of was them. They were his world and he was theirs... But the alternative to them being forever gone was a possibility that was even worse.

Kaido fell to his knees, the sharp road gravel digging into his exposed knee from his trousers.

His hope crumbled. His heart wanted to cry out for help, but Kaido didn't want to allow it. In truth, he was scared of being vulnerable and didn't want to show it. Everyone else felt the same.

 ***But somebody came...**

Blind from tears, Kaido felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Dad?" he whimpered, seeing his face in his mind.

He wiped away his tears, opening his eyes to see the familiar fish-lady, kneeling down and meeting Kaido at eye-level.

"Hey, punk... There's another kid I hang out with- a human kid, like yourself. I think you'd like her, but she's with her mom right now...  
"She'll be back around dark. Want to hang around us until... Until your folks come back?"

Kaido buried his head into Undyne's shoulder, crying.

"Yes" he whispered, embracing Undyne.

Undyne accepted the hug in silence.

"Right! Sorry!" Kaido stepped back, wiping his tear-soaked face with his hands. Undyne nodded.

"I'll let it slip this time kiddo, given all that's been going on".

This made Kaido smile.

"Kai-do. Kiddo is... Is what Dad called me".

Undyne smiled, nodding her head before standing up. "Wanna walk with me?"

"Yes... Yes."

Kaido kept-up the pace and walked with Undyne back to the Monsters' ring.

The wind gently walked, silence nodded it's head. The stranger was nowhere to be seen...

"HEY! YOU!"

Upon hearing those words entering the gate, Kaido immediately hid behind a confused Undyne as she preformed a double-take.

"Have you two met before, Monster Kid?"

"Yea! He dead-sprinted right-into me, then ran-off without another word! What's up with that dude?! Come on! Not cool!"

Kaido continued hiding behind Undyne, not that he did a good job at it.

"Punk, Look at him. You honestly think he's gonna bite you or something? He's a good kid. I know him."

Kaido slowly got out from behind Undyne, pausing and looking at her again, and again Undyne spoke to him.

"He deserves an apology at the very least. Come on. You gonna be cruel and refuse him at least that?"

These words resonated to Kaido. He took a deep breath, calmly walked toward the strange yellow, armless monster kid in the striped shirt.

Kaido whispered under his breath "No matter what... Just be kind...

"Just... Be kind..."

Kaido kept walking until he was in front of that strange monster child.

An awkward silence would've ensued if Monster Kid didn't try to say something.

"Hi. I'm Monster Kid, but you can call me M.K."

The awkward silence happened anyway.

"I'd shake your hand, but-"

"I'm sorry!" Kaido's mouth accidentaly blurted in a string of words.

"I didn't mean to run into you, I was- there was this stranger, and he- I was running and I didn't- I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt! What was-?"

M.K. exchanged glances between Kaido and Undyne, confused and absent for words.

"What? No, uh, It's- it's fine. What's your name?"

"...Kaido. My name is Kaido."

"Kaido? Nice to meet you. I'd take you to meet my parents, but they're still at MT Ebbot and it's going to be a while before they get here. What about yours?"

Kaido looked away with a disheartened expression.

"They're... They're away... Far away from here... I don't think I'll see them again..."

M.K. bit his lip and nodded in regret to his question.

"Hey, Kaido, right?"

Kaido looked back at M.K. with that same disheartened expression, nodding.

"There's going to be a party for all of us monsters tonight. Wanna hang out with me?"

This made Kaido smile.

"Yes" he nodded in reply. "Thank you... Thank you." Kaido continued.

M.K. nodded. "So... Friends, then?"

Kaido replied with a hug.

* * *

Hope... Such a fickle thing... Born in a day, dies in a day, but even in the darkest nights, stars still shine. In a world so bleak, devoid of any hope, dark beyond measure, light shines here the brightest. Isn't that all we can hope for? A little light in our endless darkness?


End file.
